


Anything For You

by lexiatel



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-27
Updated: 2015-05-28
Packaged: 2018-03-15 10:44:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 46,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3444224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lexiatel/pseuds/lexiatel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>!AU. !Severitus. Lily gets sent into the future and learns that she has an orphaned son who has been well cared for. Lily/Severus</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Fair warning; This is AU. This means that it won't follow canon (the original books, written by the original auther). It also means your favorite characters are not going to be 100% exactly how you know them. If you don't like Lily/Severus or Snily stories, don't waste your time reading. This centers around them and their love for each other.  
**

**This is going to be warm and fluffy...I hope...**

 

* * *

_The faint tapping of his shoes hitting the stone flooring echoed the corridor as he swiftly traveled to the Headmaster's headquarters. His robes fluttered as they swept along behind him._

_He saw a small body of a student scurrying around the corner up ahead of him. The boy was out pass curfew and ordinarily Severus would have called onto him to dish out a punishment, but he had a much more important matter to tend to. For once, he would have to over look a rule breaking, trouble maker._

_"Juicy Cremes." He said under his breath to the gargoyle that concealed the stairs behind it. He rode the escalating stairs to the top and urgently knocked on the door. Perhaps it was more like a pounding, but Severus didn't notice._

_Like most things in Hogwarts, the door opened without physical assistance. Albus Dumbledore sat behind his desk with a serious look. His looks were always this way when it concerned Severus. For very good reasons._

_"He is close to finding them!" Severus gasped out breathlessly. "He's going to attack as soon as he finds them! You must do something!"_

_"How much time do we have?" Albus rose from his chair in a haste, but his voice was calm and collected._

_"Maybe two days." Severus said uncertainly. "After last time, he doesn't want to waste a moment." Tears welled up in his eyes. "Please! Help her! You can't let him hurt Lily!"_

_Albus rose a hand up. "Calm down, Severus, we will come up with something."_

_Severus swallowed the threat of an oncoming lump in his throat. Pull yourself together and think! He scolded himself. You must stay strong for her! She'll be okay._

_Severus slowly paced the floor, one slow step after another. "I have tried reasoning with him, but you know how far that goes. He will probably kill them all if they are found."_

_The wise wizard nodded in understanding._

_The two stood in silence, searching their brains for a solution._

_"Potion of Alterity." Dumbledore ruminated._

_Severus shook his head. "That doesn't work on children."_

_Severus went back to the library of his mind, scanning through many words, spells, and information. He needed to find something quick. Something to save Lily._

_"Look for concealing spells." Albus suggested, somewhat knowing how Severus' brain functioned._

_Without blinking, and looking very much like a deer caught in the spot light on a dark night, Severus went through lists and lists of spells he had read about._

_The two wizards continued to bounce off suggestions to each other, both taking turns rejecting ideas until finally Severus asked, "Have you ever read 'Keeper, Keep Her Safe' by Louisanna Moldicold?"_

_Albus answered with a quick shake of his head._

_Severus didn't have time to explain that the book was an extremely dark true story about a witch who came up with a way to hide her daughter from a wretched, abusive father. Even though he searched for her, the young girl remained safe until the wizard was sent to Azkaban for multiple murders. He hadn't lasted three days there._

_Severus would have given his life to be the person for this, but she wouldn't trusted him. She didn't even know he was trying to put a stop to her death. The death of the woman he would be willing die for. The woman he was risking his life for at this very second._

_"This is exactly the type of thing I was looking for." Albus said after Severus explained how the Fildilus Charm worked. He went to the fireplace, readying himself to Floo. "Well done, Severus." He commented before disappearing._

_Please work. Severus silently prayed to who ever was listening._

_* / *_  
_The excruciating burn in his arm jerked Severus awake. He sat at his desk in his office at Hogwarts. He had nodded off to sleep, and some time during, a pot of ink had been tipped over, making a mess of the papers he had been grading._

_He uttered a curse._

_He would have to worry about that later. Severus balled up his fist with a hiss and lifted up his sleeve to examine the Dark Mark. The pain when The Dark Lord summoned a servant was usually not this painful._

_Severus hastily rubbed his eyes awake to see better and grabbed his wand that lay next to the quill he had been using earlier. After a lengthy walk to the Apparation point outside of the grounds of Hogwarts, Severus cast the spell that would take him to his enemy._

_His heart instantly thudded violently against his chest when he seen where he had been teleported to._

**_Godrick's Hollow._ **

_Clenching his jaw, he hurried to the doorstep of the Potters' home. Two of the hinges had been knocked off the door, which hung in his pathway. With a grunt, Severus tried to lift the door out of the way. His efforts were useless though, he had never been known for physical strengths._

_"Idiot!" He snapped at himself as he lifted his wand and removed the remaining hinge and cast the door aside._

_The house was dark. The muggle power had been turned off after what appeared to be an explosion (a safety shut off?)._

_" **Lumosa**." Severus cast a spell to light the inside of the house. His eyes widened at the scene before him._

* _/_ *  
Those green eyes. They were so alluring, so haunting, so lovely. And yet... so bloody painful. He blinked, staring at them. His heart clenching with a cramp as he inhaled, forcing his breathing to shallow. It was _him. Her_ son. There was no doubt about it. Why was he here though? He shouldn't be here. It was much too dangerous. Too many of the Dark Lord's followers still roamed free of their horrid, despicable crimes.

 _As if you have room to talk._ A voice echoed in his head. He had changed though... Or at least he'd like to think he had.

Oh, he had changed alright! Ever since her death, he had been a bitter, spiteful man, blaming everyone else for his problems, when in fact it was all his own fault. Dumbledore pointed that out often enough. The words were too painful though. _much_ too painful.

He regretted his choices _every single day_ , and the only reason he did not end it all was because of _her_. Her last dying wish was for the safety of that boy. The spawn of the one man he can truly say he had hated with a passion.

He hated him even more than he had hated his arse of a father, and that was saying a hell of a lot. It wasn't because James Potter had been popular. It wasn't because the boy had out bested him in just about _everything_ without even an _ounce_ of bloody effort. It wasn't because girls swooned to him. It was because James Potter had stolen _his_ girl. His _love_. The girl he had loved since the moment he had heard her happy screech in the park the day. The day he had fallen in _love_ with her at just the mere age of nine. Never in his life would he had said it were ever possible, if it had not happened to him himself.

And now what was he? A miserable, ugly, single wizard, with absolute no future to look forward to. A slave to his heart, and to the man that he had sold his soul to in order to protect the woman who had had no idea that he had loved her with more power than his own magical core held.

Swallowing down a forming lump in his throat, angrily blinking back tears of sorrow, he stalked to the boy who stood in the middle of Diagon Ally. The boy's wide, green eyes surveyed the busy street as if he'd never seen such fascinating things before.

Well, he probably hadn't. Since Dumbledore insisted the kid live with his retched aunt. And judging by the boy's appearance, he was treated nothing more than Lucius Malfoy's bloody house elves. The clothes he wore was nothing that Lily Evans' son should be clothed in. The Boy Who Lived struggled to keep the over sized, faded and stained pair of sweats from falling off his bony waist.

_Skinny..._

It occurred to Severus then. It reminded him horribly of his own childhood, and, although, he couldn't say that he liked children, it did not mean that they deserved to be treated like rubbage. _Especially_ since the boy actually lived in a well cared for home, with guardians who made an overabundance of an income. More than enough to care for their kin.

You'd never know it by looking at him though.

People passed the boy, not giving him even a glance. Oh, how different that would be if they knew his identity. But Severus couldn't allow that to transpire. His duty was to protect that boy. And that was what he was going to.

 _For you, Lily, my love._ Only for her would he help a Potter. Because as far as he was concerned, the Potter name could rot in Hell for all eternity.

He approached the boy. _He looked..._ well Severus wasn't sure. How old was Draco now? Six? Harry looked younger though. Not six. He was definitely smaller than his Godson, but Draco had the luxury of loving parents. Parents who actually fed him. And didn't... hit him...

Severus narrowed his eyes in anger at the sight of a red blotch on the boy's face. He could barely make out the imprint of a large hand. _Merlin..._

Harry looked up at him, looking so much like his father used to. His features at least. The expression on his face looked nothing like Potter's. It lacked arrogance. It lacked pride... The sneer was missing.

"Do you know where I am, sir?" The boy asked warily, unsure if he was able to trust the man or not.

Severus narrowed his eyes. "Far away from where you should be, that's for sure, young man." He answered sternly.

"I... don't know how I got here..." Harry said in deep thought. "But it's lovely here." He glanced around.

"Mmhmm. Well, we ought to get you home, then. It's not safe to wander the streets."

"I don't know the way..." Harry slumped his shoulders in shame.

"I'm sure we'll find the way back." Severus drawled, removing his wand from his robes.

Harry shrunk back, covering his face like a house elf would do if they had done something wrong. "Don't! I'm sorry I was bad!"

Severus pressed his lips together suppressing his anger. "Perhaps we do not have to go home just yet..."

"Really?" The stunning eyes of Lily lit up hopefully, but then the boy frowned. "Wait... are you a kidnapper...?" He asked cautiously.

A chuckle escaped Severus' mouth at the thought of him even attempting to kidnap a sniveling child. "I should say not!"

"Then why are you talking to me?"

"I..." Severus paused, unsure on what to say to the child. "...wanted to make sure that you weren't kidnapped actually." He scoffed at how true those words could be, if anyone know that this boy was Harry Potter. "And return you home to your... parents."

Harry's eyes fell sadly to the ground. "I don't got no parents..." he mumbled, toeing the ground with a shoe that was so worn out that Severus could see the boy's sock through it.

"Hmm... me neither."

"You don't?" Harry about gasped at the idea.

"Both are gone. They have been for many years."

"Mine died in a car crash..."

"Pardon?" Severus about choked at those words.

"A car crash..." Harry repeated, looking away sadly.

Severus cursed under his breath. His pulse sped up with a sudden enrage. _How dare they?!_ But why would he expect anything differently with those wizard hating muggles!

Harry shrunk and stepped back, leaving Severus to guess that he must have been scowling a God awful look on his face. He forced himself to relax, and stretched his lips into a faint smile. "That is most unpleasant to hear, boy. Perhaps you would like to meet someone...?"

"Who?"

"A... friend... of mine. If everything works out, we will get you some new clothes. The ones you are wearing are quite unsuitable."

"You mean it? I don't have to wear Dudley's clothes no more?" He asked excitedly.

Oh, how he was so much like Lily. Severus could not say no to those eyes. "Um, if everything works out, yes." He said uneasily, his throat trying to shut with emotion.

Harry held out his hand for Severus, he smiled, for the first time. _Smiled at Severus._ How long it had been since someone had shown such happiness at him? Too many years.

Severus took the tiny hand in his, and gave the boy a smile back. "My name is Severus." He introduced himself. _And I loved your mother._


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I am giving a fast update in honour of all my followers. I didn't expect so many- thanks so much for reading!**

**Just decided; Voldemort is dead from his backfiring curse on baby Harry, and horcruxes don't exist.  
**

* * *

 

**Chapter 2**

Severus debated on whether to take the kid to his flat nearby and put a meal in him, he truly needed it, but he decided to have that wait until the visit with Dumbledore was through. That way, the foolish old man could see exactly what has happened to the child in the hands of those disgusting muggles.

Harry spoke about anything but the people he was sent to live with. In fact, the only time he mentioned one of them was his earlier question when Harry realized that he may not have to wear those hideous clothes anymore.

Severus used to be shut mouthed about his home life too. Even Lily didn't know half of what his bastard father had done to both his mother and him. He grit his teeth, shoving those memories back deep in his mind. He couldn't think about that right now. Lily's son needed all his focus.

"Do you like snakes?" The little boy asked. His question had been prompted when a boy his own age came running by with one wrapped around his neck, screeching for his mother, begging her to let him keep it.

"Not really."

"How about dogs?"

Severus made a sour face. "I positively _despise_ dogs."

"Cats?"

Severus refrained from sighing. Obviously the boy was going to go down a list of living creatures, in search for the one that Severus favoured the most. "Owls are quite nice. Intelligent. Usually quiet- if well trained."

"An owl?" Harry asked in shock. "You can't keep an owl for a pet!"

"Of course you can!" Severus huffed.

"But they are wild animals!"

"Which is why I said _if_ they are well trained."

"Oh." Harry said nothing more for a while. Severus' blunt correction may had set him back a bit. That didn't bother Severus much, he'd prefer the quiet walk.

Severus hoped that Dumbledore would be on the same ground as Severus was with Harry's living conditions. And by God, with the guilt trip that that man laid on Severus any chance he got, he'd better relocate Harry!

Upon exiting Diagon Alley, Severus refrained from gulping when he saw who was approaching the entrance.

_Lupin._

He'd surely recognize Harry. Anyone who spent enough time with James Potter could spot the boy a mile away.

Lupin forced a smile when he noticed Severus; his way of being civil. He hated Severus as much as Severus hated him.

"Didn't know you had a kid, Snape." Lupin inquired about the boy, clearly he not had given Harry a good look over.

Severus cleared his throat. "I have not sired anyone, nor do I plan to."

"I'm Har-"

"He's my cousin." Severus cut in quickly, snatching the back of Harry's shirt and giving him a tug to mute him.

"Wah!" Harry giggled, landing softly against Severus' legs. He adjusted his glasses that had gone crooked from the abrupt movement.

Lupin's eyes narrowed at Snape suspiciously and then lowered down to look over the boy.

Severus stepped into his view, blocking Harry's sight from him. "Don't you have something more important to do than to scrutinize my kin?" He growled.

Lupin gave another one of his fake smiles. "I suppose it's not my business, indeed. Best of wishes to you, Snape. I'm sure the boy is in _lovely_ hands." He chuckled sightly at his joke and slipped passed Severus to walk on, but not without giving the boy another look. Severus' pulse sped up as he watched Lupin's eyes narrow.

 _He knew..._ There's no way he didn't notice the messy dark hair and the glasses.

Lupin's smile turned real. "Good luck to you, young man." He said to Harry and finally was on his way.

"Bye bye!" Severus snatched Harry's eagerly waving hand and escorted him to the nearest safe house.

"I guess you don't like that man." the boy said musingly.

"Not at all. But his feelings are the same for me, so, fair is fair."

"Why don't you like each other?"

"That's not something I am going to discuss with you." Severus said coolly. He entered the home, heading strait to the fireplace. Flooing a child was much safer than apparating them. And since they were going to Hogwarts, they could arrive in the Headmaster's office this way, verses the long walk they'd have to make if they were to apparate. Severus wanted this boy released from him as soon as possible. Dumbledore would be able to find a trustworthy home for Harry. Anything would be better than the bitch Petunia and her whale of a husband.

"What are you doing?!" The boy instantly began fussing and tugging at Severus when he went to pull the boy into the blue flames of fire.

"It won't hurt." Severus informed softly. "See?" He gestured down at his robes, showing the boy that they were in perfect shape.

Harry gave a confused look, cautiously inspecting the flames.

"Ever seen Star Trek?" Severus asked after a quick thought.

"Once..." Harry replied. "I... don't watch much telly." His eyes shifted away from Severus.

"Did they go into Transporter in the episode that you watched?"

Harry nodded.

"Good." Severus said with a smile of relief. "This is like one of them. We're going to transport to a different location."

Harry's jaw dropped. "We are?! Really?!"

"Really. Just step in next to me, and we'll be off."

Harry needed no more coaxing, he literally leaped in, landing beside Severus, his grin as wide as ever. "Now what?"

"Hold very still." Severus instructed. "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy, Albus Dumbledore's Office." He spoke in a slow drawl, pronouncing every syllable.

They began spinning. Harry's hand tightened around Severus' and there was a small yelp that escaped his lips. Severus closed his eyes tightly as the familiar feeling of his body rejecting his guts formed at the pit of his stomach. Then, it stopped all together. Breathing slow and deep, Severus stepped out of the Floo network, noticing he was dragging Harry.

"Blast..." he muttered. The kid was breathing fast and deep. With a groan, Harry threw up. Right on the hem of Severus' robes. Severus saw red in his eyes from a sudden rage of anger. _That filthy little-_

"Sorry!" Harry shrieked with a sob. "So sorry!" He inched his way back into the fireplace, his green eyes pooled with tears of embarrassment and fright. "I didn't mean it! Please don't punish me!"

Severus hastily took out his wand, and the boy rolled up into a ball as small and as tight as he could. Swallowing hard at the sight, Severus' eyes misted at the memory of him doing the same in his own youth. He cleaned the boy's mess with a simple wordless 'scourgify'.

"Harry..." Severus said as gently as he could. "The mess is gone now. There's no reason to be afraid. I am not going to punish you for a mere accident that you couldn't help..."

Harry peeked up from the cross of his shielding arms to confirm Severus' words. Finding them true, he lowered his hands, eyeing the hem of the robes. "How did you clean them so fast?" Harry whispered astonishingly, forgotten tears loosely fell from his face.

"You'll learn about that all later. Right now, you're going to meet my friend, but you have to come out of there first."

"Okay." Harry voice was quiet, but full of interest. He crawled out before standing to his feet and dusting off his soot covered clothing.

"Good boy." Severus said approvingly and walked to the Headmaster's desk. The office was empty of life, but the whirring gadgets allowed enough movement and sound to keep it from being anything but quiet and dull. "Don't touch anything." Severus hastily added to the boy. Just in time too. Harry was about to poke something that Severus wasn't even sure what it was. It looked like a lava lamp, but without the lamp. A blob of "lava" floated in mid air.

Severus took a specialized textbook from the desk and spoke to it, "Albus, I'm in your office now. We have an urgent matter on our hands. -Severus." As he said the words, they scrawled onto the paper in Severus' own handwriting. Severus ripped the page with his words out of the textbook and crumbled it up into his hands. As he did this, the paper broke into many pieces, like it were a brittle piece of cracker. The tiny crumbs rose up from the floor, and, without the assistance of even a gust of wind, flew out of the office in search for the receiver of the message.

"Wow..." Harry whispered, gazing at another object. He must had been too busy exploring his eyes to pay attention to Severus much at all. "What are these things?" He pointed to a tiny glass box, similar to an ant farm.

Severus walked over to Harry to eye it over. Dozens of tiny specks of some sort of insect jumped around on very tiny contraptions, looking very much like a miniature child's playground. It took him several seconds until he discovered its identity. "A flea circus." Severus informed Harry with a chuckle.

Harry grinned. "Wicked."

The door to Albus' office opened and the old wizard himself paused a moment at the doorway when he unexpectedly seen the boy. He said nothing, shutting the door behind him and walked- keeping his thoughts to himself, to Severus and Harry.

"And how did you obtain possession of the boy, Severus?" Albus asked curiously without taking his sparkling eyes off Harry.

"Found him in the middle of the streets of Diagon Alley."

Albus' eyes snapped up to Severus at the explanation. His eyes suddenly very serious. "How did he get there?"

"Given that the boy doesn't even know how he managed it, and by the fact that his once reddening cheek is now-" Severus gestured toward Harry's face, which was sporting the beginning of a blueish purple bruise.

"Accidental magic..."Albus whispered. "He's a bit too young..."

"Not _too_ young, but young, yes."

The starry twinkle in Albus' eyes faded as he assessed Harry's condition.

Harry twitched uncomfortably at the sudden staring that both men were doing to him. "What?" He asked warily. "What did I do now?"

"Nothing, dear boy." Albus went to pat his hand against Harry's shoulder, but Harry raised his hands up in defense.

"You see why I said this was urgent?"

Albus nodded absently. "This is... not good."

"He should be relocated today." Severus said firmly. "He will not go back there."

"Well..." Albus sighed. "He has really no other place to go..."

"An orphanage would be better at this point, Albus!" Severus snarled.

"No." Albus' voice went cold. "I wont send him to one of those. Not after what happened to Tom Riddle."

"Well he certainly can't go back to those bloody muggles! Not after what happened to _me_!"

Albus raised a hand to calm Severus. "Severus-"

"No, Albus!" Severus shook his head. "You have _no_ idea how bad it could get in the hands of people like that." Severus stepped forward and spoke quietly enough so only Albus could hear his following words. "My father nearly killed me _several_ times in my life for the severe 'punishments' he gave me. I forbid the boy from returning back there."

"Severus, I am surprised." Albus said tauntingly. "I did not know you could have such feelings for..." his eyes flicked a moment toward Harry and back to Severus.

Severus stepped back stiffly. "You know exactly why, sir. No need to patronize me. But even if that wasn't the case, he deserves a better home. And you best find him one."

Albus chuckled amusingly and walked to the door that led to his chambers. "Come, Severus, let's have a word in private."

Severus nodded and turned to address Harry. "Remember what I said, Harry; no touching anything."

"Yes, sir." Harry said distractingly, still gazing at the many wonders of the room.

"There's some lovely candy in that bowl there, Harry." Albus pointed to the dish on his desk. "Have one if you'd like."

"Thank you!" Harry said with brightly lit eyes and made his way to the candy.

"Just one." Severus added firmly, knowing the boy would probably eat the whole dish if he were allowed.

Harry pouted, but delicately slipped one into his mouth.

When Albus and Severus were separated from Harry, Albus smiled, and his eyes flashed mischievously.

"What?" Severus tilted his head, bracing himself, knowing Albus was a sneaky man who loved to torture Severus.

"I know just the perfect person to watch over Harry."

"You do? Already?" Severus asked in doubt. "You haven't given it much thought, sir."

Albus' smile turned into a grin, and without him needing to say anything more, Severus knew who Albus had chosen.

"Oh, _hell_ bloody no!"

 


	3. Chapter 3

_**Thanks for kudosing and bookmarking! We'll see Lily soon, sorry for her delay in appearance.**   
_

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Good God, what was wrong with this man?! How could he expect Severus to do this? He wasn't cut out for kids. He didn't have the patience, didn't have the experiences, and didn't have the space.

It was one thing to protect the boy, but another to raise him!

Severus sat in Albus' living room of his chambers in Hogwarts, he was shaking his head gravely, and muttering incoherent words. His stomach bubbled with fire, any moment, ready to chuck up the breakfast he had had that morning.

"I can't, Albus." He said, his voice a bit higher than normal. "He's Harry Potter, anyone else would be honoured to take the boy and raise him."

"But no one is as excellent as you are for the job." Albus' voice held a bit of joy, as if he was excited for the idea of Severus adopting the Potter boy. Yes, the old coot completely enjoyed torturing Severus. No doubt.

"No!" His head shook violently. "Potter's turning in his grave at your suggestion right now!"

"I doubt that." Albus said softly. "Not after what I seen you do today."

"I certainly would be against him raising _my_ son if he were _me_."

"Yes, but, you two are different people. And perhaps you would think differently if he had done for your son as you have just done for his. Besides, what do you think Lily would say to all this?"

"I can see her screaming at Petunia for abusing her child- or allowing her husband to do it. If she were alive now, I'd wager she'd even send a hex or two to that bitch." Severus let out a small chuckle at the thought of Lily's temper. Understanding as she was, Lily had still been a spitfire of a red head. Mix that in with her Gryffindor title, and she was a hellcat. If she was pushed enough, she could have been one to fear.

There were many reasons that the Dark Lord wanted her on his side of the war.

"Do it for her, Severus." Albus pushed, knowing he could get Severus to do anything if it involved Lily. "She'd want you to raise him. Obviously, you can understand him better, given his abuse."

Severus swallowed hard. _He can't be a father...!_ "I don't know how to be a father... Mine was a horrid example."

"And we both know that you will not be like Tobias. I know the thought is frightening right now, but you'll get used to it."

"Coming from the man who has never had a child one!" Severus spat.

Albus gave him a guilty look, he cleared his throat and looked away.

Severus scoffed in disbelief. "You're kidding me, right?!"

"I had a son once..."

"Once?" Severus questioned. "Isn't a child forever?"

"He died, Severus..." Albus' whispered. "Drowned... Age of five."

"Oh..." Severus was momentarily stunned by the tragic news. He stopped himself from apologizing, Albus would not want his pity. "So... why don't _you_ raise Harry then?"

The old wizard chuckled. "I'm much too old for parenthood. And too busy. Besides, it'll be more beneficial for both you and Harry. I feel you may learn some lessons in life along the way too. Lessons that I wished I had learned sooner than I had."

"Such as?"

"You'll learn them along the way."

"I can't do it." Severus insisted. He summoned a potion to settle his anxious stomach and downed it in one gulp.

"You care about him. Otherwise you wouldn't have stopped for him. He needs someone to care for him. Don't let happen to Harry what happened to you or Riddle. Children need love. They need it to be a good person. You have so much love in your heart, Severus, you need someone to share it with. Lily's son needs your love."

_Lily..._

Severus sobbed. A tear slipped out of his eye as he pictured her laughing after a hearing sarcastic joke of his. He couldn't even remember what it was anymore, it had to do with her sister's attempt at cooking though, that much he did remember.

"If Lily had asked you to do it, would you have?"

Severus' mouth sat a gap, inhaling through it. He sniffed his dripping nose. "I'd have done anything for Lily."

"Don't let Lily's son grow up unwanted then. Don't let him grow up thinking that he is a burden on someone. There is still plenty of money in the Potters' account, I can give you the key to it, if finances are your concern."

Severus snorted. "I don't need Potter's petty fortune. I have my own."

Albus raised an eyebrow. "Your own?"

"Grandfather Prince died three years ago. I was contacted by the goblin who managed the Prince's account. A simple blood test later, and I was richer than I had ever imagined in my life."

"No one would ever know it..." Albus eyed Severus' appearance closely.

"I'm not a big spender... I am not Lucius Malfoy. I don't need to flaunt my riches in order to feel good about myself. The Potters' fortune will give Harry an inheritance when he comes of age."

"So, are you going to do it? Are you going to raise Harry?" The hopeful look in the man's eyes were too much like a child's.

Severus sighed, swallowing hard. People raised kids everyday. Could he do it? If Harry was under his roof, he'd know the boy wasn't being used as a punching bag. He could fulfill Lily's dying wish and keep the child safe. He would never hurt Harry. It would be like hurting Lily all over again.

And he didn't want to hurt Lily again. He'd kill himself first.

There was a knock on the door. "Excuse me..." Harry's tiny voice desperately requested. The door flew open without any physical assistance.

"Yes, Harry?" Albus inquired.

"I have to use the loo." Harry scrunched up his face in pain. "I've held it for as long as I could."

"That door." Harry was directed across the room.

"Oh. Thanks, sir!"" Harry gasped out in relief, sprinting to the bathroom.

"He's very cute. And polite." Albus whispered.

"Lily had great manners." Severus mused distantly.

"I know."

Harry emerged shortly after. "Do I get new clothes now, Severus?" He asked eagerly.

Severus looked up, locking in on Harry's green eyes. He was instantly hypnotized by those emerald gems. He inhaled deeply, gathering up his courage, and stood up. "Yes, Harry. We'll get you some new clothes today. But first, I need to talk with you."

"Alright."

Severus cleared his throat uneasily, having no idea where to begin as Harry patiently waited for him to start. He closed his eyes and, very slowly, asked, "How would you like to live with me for a while?" Severus didn't open his eyes to see the reaction. All his life he had faced rejection and wasn't ready for another; even if it was from a child.

"For how long?" Harry asked after a long silence.

Severus opened his eyes to see Harry watching at him, awaiting for an answer. He shrugged slightly. "If we can get along alright, for as long as you want."

Harry thought about it for a moment and than asked, "Forever?"

Severus chuckled softly. "I'm sure one day you'll want to be on your own, and perhaps start your own family."

"Will you be like my dad then?"

"No, I can not, and will never replace your father, Harry. But I'll take care of you. I'll be there for anything you'll ever need."

Harry tilted his head. "What about..." he looked away disturbingly. "My aunt and uncle?" He mumbled, afraid he'd have to go back to them.

"You'll never have to see them again." Severus told him.

Harry sharply turned back his head to look at Severus, a smile finally appeared on his face as he realized that his nightmare may in fact be over. "Do you really mean that?"

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't."

Harry ran to Severus and crashed into one of his legs, wrapping his arms around it. "Okay!" He agreed excitedly. "I would like you to live with you!"

"Are you sure?" Severus asked uncertainly, heavily surprised at the boy's excitement. He could not quite believe that a six year old boy would be so happy to move in with him. Even if Harry was getting abused, Severus knew he didn't look like the person a kid could fall in love with.

Severus felt Harry nod against him. "You've been the nicest person ever to me."

"You haven't met enough people then, boy." Severus told him dryly.

* _/_ *

Severus took Harry to his flat finally to get the boy a good meal in his stomach. He didn't really cook much. Not that he didn't know how, he'd just prefer brewing potions if he was going to do such an activity. This meant that Severus didn't have a grand selection of food, but he knew Harry wouldn't complain, he'd been in Harry's shoes before; given just enough to literally survive on. Although, in Severus' case, it was because his father thought the liquor that he drank was more important than filling the bellies of his family. It wasn't like that with Harry though. Harry had been starved purposely, because, knowing Petunia, she felt like Harry was too much of a freak to deserve to eat their food. Severus honestly wouldn't put it pass the woman if she had made him eat on the floor like a domesticated animal.

Severus shook his head at the thought. Harry may have had it worse than he did as a child. Tobias was an addict, therefore, nothing mattered more than the possession of a bottle. He was sick.

Petunia was just a bloody bitch.

"Eat slowly." Severus told the boy, instantly ceasing Harry's mouth shoveling of his macaroni and cheese. "If you eat like a pig, you'll get sick." Severus knew that from experience. It took a young Severus two trips back from home to Hogwarts to realize the truth in that. Naturally, a starved child is going to consume as much food as he can when there's practically a buffet sitting right in front of him.

He set an apple down next to Harry's plate. "You'll have a proper meal next time. We'll go shopping for your clothes and a more suitable kitchen of groceries when you're finished."

"Okay." Harry agreed simply to acknowledge him.

"Do you have anything at the Dursleys that you wish to be brought here?"

Harry shook his head.

"So you don't have nothing that's yours?"

Harry took several bites of his food before he answered, "I have a friend. Charlotte."

"Harry, I can only take you..."

"Charlotte's a spider." His eyes glowed mischievously, but besides that, he appeared thoughtful and innocent.

"You have a friend that's a spider?" Severus was actually surprised at this, and he felt a bit of a warmth building inside him. Of all the things this boy could befriend, a spider...

"Yeah, Aunt Petunia is afraid of spiders. Dudley tried killing Charlotte once, but she's a good hider."

"What kind of spider is Charlotte. Do you know?" Severus seated himself across the boy, noticing that his dinner was nearly consumed.

Harry scraped the plate with his fork. He gave a shrug. "A scary one with hairy legs and eyes that sparkle like glitter. She looks mean, but she's not really. Only on the outside." He said with a matter of fact. "That doesn't matter to Aunt Petunia though." His face lowered sadly.

"Ready for new clothes?" Severus asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah, I am!" Harry hopped up from the chair.

Severus summoned up a potion for the boy, and held it out for him. Harry gave him an odd look.

"Are you a scientist? Is that a beaker?"

Harry's question made Severus snort. "It's a potion."

The boy's eyes grew wide. "Like what a witch brews? Or... like in Dudley's video game? A reviver potion?"

"Perhaps... both...?" Severus answered uncertainly.

Harry took the potion into his hands and brought it up to the light. The pink, thick liquid had flecks of white chunks in it. "What's it do?" Harry asked curiously.

"It'll make sure that your dinner stays in your body. We'll be flooing again." Severus gestured toward the fireplace that was visible from where they stood in the kitchen.

"Flooing...?"

"Drink it up, boy. You'll have plenty of time to absorb my unusual life later."

Harry winced and did as Severus said. He grimaced a bit. Likely due to the cooling effect that the potion had. It contained a serious amount peppermint oil.

"It tastes like... toothpaste." Harry described without necessity.

Severus nodded and made way to the fireplace.

"Wait!" Harry called after him, followed by a clanking noise. Severus turned to see the boy hastily taking his used dishes to the sink and rinse them.

"I'll worry about that later, Harry." Severus told him. "Come now, we don't want to shop after dark."

Harry practically skipped to Severus, and, this time, had no problem stepping into the fireplace to floo.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Wow, I am simply shocked by the response that this story is getting! Thank you so much for your support! *lurvs*** _  
_

**Just a heads up, I don't plan on doing much bashing in this story, I want it be all gooey and sweet... so yeah... I am not much of a James fan, but he supposedly changed after 5th or 6th year, and I am going to roll with that, going on the idea that he MAY had loved Lily as much as Sev had...Though... I can't see that, but I am biased when it comes to Severus, I'll admit it,lol**

 

* * *

**Chapter 4**

_October 1975_

"Oi, Evans!" James Potter called out from the Gryffindor table, waving her over.

Lily stuck her nose in the air in an effort to ignore the boy she hated the most. She sat down at the Hufflepuff table, next to her friend, Alice. Alice spent a lot of time with the Hufflepuffs as her boyfriend, Frank Longbottom, was one.

"Potter again, eh?" Frank inquired.

Lily didn't verbally answer, but instead gave a huff.

"Want me to give him a little talk?" Frank sent Potter a dirty look.

"No." She sighed, and took a banana from the nearest fruit bowl. "How can he expect me to go out with him after what he did to Severus?!" she gripped the banana so hard, it squished into her hand and out through her fingers.

Alice raised her eyesbrows. "That poor banana..." she said dramatically.

Lily scowled, setting the mutilated fruit onto the table and cleaning her hand with a quick spell.

"Potter's just a toerag." Frank said gently. "Been that way since I've known him. You'd think he was half raised by the Malfoys, Lucius is no different."

"Lucius didn't threaten to harass someone just so he could go out on a date!"

Alice shrugged. "He might have. He was four years older than us. Could have done a lot in four years. Knowing their lot." she tossed her head toward the Slytherin table.

Lily got up, glaring. "Not everyone in that house is a bad person."

"But the majority are." Alice pointed out gently. "So just... watch yourself."

"Yes, be careful..." Frank warned. "If you want me-"

"I don't need you to escort me anywhere." Lily insisted, making sure her wand was equipped. "Knowing Potter, he'll be lingering two steps behind me anyway."

"So, you _do_ want an escort, just not me." Frank teased.

"I'm not in the mood, Longbottom." Lily stalked off grumpily. She couldn't eat, she may as well go up to bed early.

Even though it had been just about four months since that incident, Severus and Potter still pursued her. Severus acted like a wounded puppy, and Potter was just as insufferable as ever, unable to comprehend that she didn't like him that way- that she didn't like him at all.

With all that going on, she was kind of tired of Hogwarts. Sick of the fighting, sick of the war on blood purity, and she was getting irritated by the constant pestering of both boys.

If all that wasn't enough, she had to be on the look out for attacks because a select few were brave ( _dumb_ ) enough to try and curse her with awful spells.

She had climbed two floors before hearing a taunting, "Mudblood."

Lily looked around, but the corridor seemed empty. "Come out and face me like a man." She called out, raising her wand. But the hall remained quiet. Lily laughed. "Scared of my _kind_? How typical of _your_ kind. The lot of you are cowards!"

A red bolt zipped to her. Lily didn't recognize the curse, but with a quick counter, she realized it was either very weak or blockable.

"That all you got?!" She snapped. "Show your face!"

And, one by one, four boys and a girl emerged from a classroom. All Slytherins, of course. "You'd be wise to go home." Avery sneered.

"Yes, before you get sent back in a coffin." The girl added.

"Always in a gang. In a group. No one taught you a fair fight?" Lily asked, watching them closely.

"All's fair in love and war." Avery raised his wand, smirking.

" _Expelliarmus!_ " Lily disarmed the lot of them, wands flew everywhere, making the Slytherins yell out in surprise.

"Get her!" Avery shouted to his group, swiping up his discarded wand.

Lily stupified two of the group and realized that she didn't have time to do them all. She cast a shield around her and began running toward the Gryffindor tower.

She felt a small vibration each time their curses bounced off her shield, but it managed to stay intact with her full concentration of it. " _Escalate!_ " She gasped, pointing at the stairs she was approaching and making them move upward. When she leaped on, she murmured, " _Vers Nellian!_ "

"Hey! How'd she do that?" The girl demanded as the stairs zipped up so fast that Lily had to momentarily glue her feet to the step she stood on to keep from flying off.

 _She was safe._ She thought, giving the stairs a glance after stepping off them. They'd be like that for a while and those Slytherins wouldn't brave it.

She jumped when she looked up, seeing someone ahead, but sighed when she saw that it was only Severus. Even though he was heavily interested in the Dark Arts and Death Eaters, he was harmless.

She bit her lip and walked toward him, her pulse picking up. She had wished many times, with all her heart, that he hadn't had said what he did to her. It had pained her dearly when he had called her a mudblood. She wasn't bothered by name calling (much), but because it had come from _him_ , the boy she had grown to love and trust, it had upset her beyond repair.

 _How could he had done that to her?! After all they had been through? What had she done to him to deserve such treatment?_ The horrid memory instantly brought tears into her eyes.

"Lily-"

"Save it!" She snapped, passing him.

"He's giving you a chance." Severus followed quickly behind her. "He wants you, Lil'."

Lily whipped around so fiercely that her long hair wrapped around her neck. "You had better not be talking about Voldemort!"

Severus winced. "You're not supposed to call him that." He said meekly.

"Why would _he_ call himself a name and not expect anyone to call him it?!"

"He'd rather be called-"

"He'd rather everyone kiss his feet! He's a crazy wizard, who thinks he can control everyone! Well, he won't control me!"

"Please, Lily, when he wins-"

"Don't touch me!" Lily shrieked, slapping at his hand that had made a grab for her arm. "Don't you dare touch me!"

Severus' arm dropped to his side. "His plans for your kind... They aren't good.." he whispered.

"And you support him, so they are your plans too!"

"Lily, please, just _listen_ to me!" He begged in desperation.

"You say another word to me, Severus Snape, and I'll silence you! I'll silence you forever!" Lily's eyes narrowed darkly, blazing with a searing fire. Her wand was pointed at him, shaking slightly from her anger.

Severus' mouth shut at the threat. His eyes sunk to the ground and he sniffed wetly, but he was smart to remain quiet.

"Get away from her, Snivilus!" Potter sent a hex toward Severus, and Lily turned on her heel. Severus had made it _clear_ that he didn't want any help from her _kind_.

_And so she wouldn't._

She angrily wiped her tears away and stalked off.

* / *

"People wear strange things here." Harry noted, as they stepped into a clothing shop. Severus was going to get him a couple pairs of outer robes for protection against the elements of the upcoming winter. Harry gave Severus a shy look as he looked over his dark robes.

"Yes, many of the grown men here like the comfort in robes."

"Bathrobes?"

"Does this look like a bathrobe to you?" Severus asked, slightly insulted.

Harry giggled at Severus' disgusted face. "No!"

"It's a wizard's robe."

"Wizard?" Harry got a confused look on his face and a moment later his eyes widened. "That was a wand?!" He shrieked.

"What? This?" Severus fetched his wand from inside his robes. "Yes, it's a wand."

"Not a stick to hit me with." Harry eyed it in wonder.

"No, definitely _not_."

"Can you do a magic trick?"

" _Trick_?" Severus scoffed. Once again, feeling insulted. "Wizards don't do magic _tricks_. We do magic _spells_."

Harry shrugged. "What's the difference?"

"You're thinking of a magician, who _fools_ his audience on making them _think_ he can do magic. A _wizard_ needs not to fool someone to believe his spells, for he is not a fake."

"Would you show me a magic _spell_ then?" Harry asked, slightly mocking him.

Severus' eyebrow quirked up, surprised by that, but he chose to overlook it. Draco had the tendency to do the same thing. Maybe it was a thing that little boys did. Perhaps mimicking their authority figures helped them learn.

If Severus wanted this thing to work, he couldn't seek Potter in the boy. He _had_ to see just Lily or else he'd never succeed with this. This much he knew. He hated Potter. He couldn't hate Harry though. Not _Lily's_ son. He _had_ to avoid being judgmental when it came to Harry.

"This is the first one you learn in school." he demonstrated the lumos spell, lighting up the tip of his wand.

"There's a school for wizards?"

"How may I help you?" A tall, cheery witch approached Harry and Severus, interrupting their conversation.

"I need two pairs of robes for the boy. Best quality you have that'll brave the upcoming winter weather."

The witch smiled at Severus then down at Harry. "And the colours?"

Severus stopped himself from saying black. With a thoughtful look, he asked Harry, "What colour do you want your robes to be?"

Harry gaped at him, obviously surprised that he was going to get some expensive robes, and also get to choose the colours of them. "Um..." Harry looked at Severus' robes and asked, "Can I have one black and one red?"

"You certainly can!" The witch said friendly. "Hop on this stool here." She gestured to one of the many foot tall stools.

"Not literally, Harry." Severus groaned, watching the boy jump on it with a laugh.

"Energetic little fella, aren't ya?" The witch noted, and set loose her measuring tape.

"Wow!" Harry gaped at the flying item that collected his measurements. "That's neat!"

"Hold still, little one." The clerk adjusted Harry's head to face forward. "Almost finished. Ah, there we go, we're done. My, my, you're a scrawny one." She said after reading over the notes. She glanced at Severus a moment before dashing off to one of the back rooms.

Of course people are going to accuse Severus of not feeding the child. What else was new? He got blamed for everything anyway, this wouldn't be any different. Well, he'd show them. Harry would be the best cared for boy of all the Wizard World.

It took two hours to get everything that Severus thought Harry would need. Including nutritional food to make meals that would allow the boy to gain some needed weight.

After putting away everything (Harry's new clothing had to be stored in boxes for now, as Severus' flat was so small and there was no room for another chest of drawers for the additional items), they were both extremely tired. Severus arranged his bed for Harry to sleep in. He had changed the sheets, the pillow covers, and even gave Harry a quilt of his own. The boy didn't know it yet, but Lily had quilted it back in their 3rd year. Severus had "stolen" it from the Potters' house the night that they were murdered.

"This is a very wicked quilt, Severus." Harry said with sleepy eyes. He yawned, patting the printed lion with his hand.

"Yes, it is." Severus simply agreed. Gryffindor quilt or not, he still liked it. It was Lily. Pure Lily. Red patches; as red as her hair. Gold bordering; for as precious as she was. And the lion prints; to represent her sorting.

"Where will you sleep?" The boy asked through another yawn.

"On the sofa." He answered, tucking the quilt under Harry's chin.

"But this is your bed, you should sleep in it."

"Tonight, it is yours, Harry. Sleep well." He noxed out the overhead light, slightly smiling at the comfortable sigh that Harry did before his breathing slowed into slumber.

The next morning, Severus woke up to the smell of bacon. He squinted his sleepy eyes and stretched his aching body. He moaned in discomfort. He had a pinched nerve in his neck and his entire left leg was numb from having had fallen asleep after the odd angle it had been kept in throughout the night. With a grunt, he sat up.

"Harry?"

"Yes, sir?" The boy entered the room from the kitchen, holding a fork.

"You're not cooking, are you?"

Harry nodded. "Breakfast. How do you eat your eggs?"

Severus stood and limped to the doorway, an effect of his sleeping leg. He winced as the sharp tingling began, a sign of circulation returning.

"Are you alright, Severus?" Harry asked worriedly.

Severus bit a finger to stifle a groan and nodded. "Leg's as-asleep." He grit his teeth.

"I hate that!" The boy giggled. "Try stamping your foot. That usually helps with me."

"It's almost finished." Severus assured the boy, grasping onto the wall for support. A moment later he sighed and stood up, patting down his wrinkled robes that he had slept in. Ordinarily, he slept in the nude, but he didn't want to scare Harry with his hideous body.

"Now then, why are you cooking?" Severus asked. Harry had returned to the frying pan and was turning the bacon.

"Earning my keep, sir." he answered simply.

"Your keep?"

"Yeah, I cook and clean, and, in return, you give me a place to live."

"Harry," Severus started sternly. "Go sit down at the table."

Harry spun around, his face filled with confusion. "But I need to finish cooking breakfast..."

Severus swept to the stove and gently pushed Harry to the table. "Six year olds do not cook in my house."

Harry's brow wrinkled. "Then... what _do_ I do to earn my keep, Severus?" He asked innocently.

"Er..." Severus wasn't sure what Harry could do. He knew it was good for a child to grow up doing household chores, establishing morals in life, but he felt the boy had probably done enough of that in his short life.

"Wizards don't need little boys to do their housework. They can do it much faster themselves." Severus brought out his wand and gave it a flick toward the stove. Harry let out a surprised gasp as everything went to life all at once. Bacon was pulled out of the frying pan and the grease was collected. Eggs cracked into a bowl and were whisked vigorously with a fork. Fresh bread was sliced and toasted over the flame of the stove. Fruit was cut up and mixed together, topped with yogurt. The eggs were then fried, and, when they were finished, everything came hovering toward them, arranged on plates, ready to be consumed.

Harry was stuck in awe, unable to eat.

"It'll get cold." Severus warned dryly, picking up his fork.

"That was... _amazing_!" Harry cheered. "Can you teach me how to be a wizard so I can do that too?!"

"It takes many years to learn how to master all that, and even more to do it all at once. To do it all the time is a bit overwhelming for your body. I just did it to show you the possibilities."

"But you'll teach me?" He still hadn't touched his food from all the excitement.

"Eat." Severus said, pointing his fork at Harry's plate.

To satisfy Severus, Harry shoved a fork load into his mouth. "I want to learn magic, sir." He said after swallowing his bite.

"You will. At Hogwarts."

"What's Hogwarts?"

"The school where you'll be taught how to manage your magic."

Harry's chewing slowed, thinking that over. " _My_ magic...?"

"You have magic, Harry. You're a wizard."

"I am?!"

Severus nodded, shuffling around the food on his plate, gazing at it. "Let me tell you a story. Your parents didn't die in a car crash, Harry. They were murdered..."

* _/_ *

The tiny hand felt warm against the violent, icy breeze of the night. It squeezed Severus' own hand, almost as if the boy was trying to send him a comforting message.

"How are you fairing, Harry? Are you warm enough?"

Harry stared, but nodded. His other hand, that wasn't folded around Severus', was clutching a single white lily. Without breaking their connection, he delicately placed the flower on the tombstone of his mother's grave. He then fished a tissue out of his pocket and held it up to Severus. His eyes filled with passion. Passion that he had inherited from his mother.

"Thanks." Severus whispered, wiping his nose with a single sniff.

He came here every year on the anniversary of her death, and felt it was right to let Harry accompany him this year.

It never got easier. Severus could swear it got worse every time. The guilt stabbed his chest like an ice, cold knife.

Harry then took out a crayon from his pocket, and let go of Severus, walking to his father's grave. The boy bent down and started drawing. Severus waited until he was finished. He didn't know Harry had planned this, but Harry seemed determined enough to give his father a memorial marking of his own, and Severus wasn't going to stop him from doing it.

Harry stepped back minutes later to inspect his work. Severus went up to him, pulling Harry's scarf a bit tighter around his neck, since it had loosened from his movement.

"Is it good enough?" Harry asked worriedly. Harry had drawn a stick figure flying on a broom. Severus assumed that it was supposed to be Potter. The figure held a round ball looking thing (the Quaffle) and was posed in front of three goal hoops with another stick figure on a broom, blocking his pathway.

"It is better than enough." Severus told him. "And I'd believe your father is enjoying it right at this very moment."

Harry snuggled his face against Severus to block the horrible cold breeze of the wind.

"Let's go home, Harry." he gave one last grieving look at the letters spelling Lily's name, and then Severus turned, walking away, with Harry by his side.

* * *

**A/N; I like listening to remixes. I also enjoy make up my own tunes, but I suck at it. Anyway, I was listening to a song, and it reminded me much of this story; warm and fluffy. Even though you haven't read much fluff yet, I _am_ writing it up, so yeah. Squee!**

**The song is called _Tectonic_ by Farbro (available to view on youtube). A cute, sweet, and cushiony remix. That's the theme song I have chosen for this fic. Have a listen if you want to feel all cozies.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Severus learned quickly that Harry was honestly an easy boy to take care of. He was very independent and found his own ways to keep himself entertained. Severus got the idea that perhaps Harry may have been ignored a lot, and even though Severus let the boy have his space, ignoring him he did not do. For Harry had a curious mind and could easily find ways to get himself into trouble.

A month after Harry had started living with Severus, a Dilitter had also decided to make itself home in Severus' home. A Dilitter was a creature that went from home to home to find "litter" and eat it. Of course, these useful creatures tended to consume important things if they appeared to have been thrown away.

"Don't touch that." Severus warned Harry. Harry had been closely watching the fluffy ball of fur sweep across the floor. It had no eyes and no paws. 'Fluffy balls of fur' was practically their only description. That, and the faintest whirring noise it would make as it "sniffed" out offending materials.

"What is it? It sounds like a miniature vacuum cleaner." Harry inched around the floor and peered under the sofa that the Dilitter had gone under.

"That is a Dilitter. It eats what it declares rubbish."

"It's very cute."

"Yes, but if you touch him, he'll spray you with a poisonous ink."

Harry sat up to look at Severus with big, wide eyes. "That thing can kill me?" He squeaked.

"Not all poisons are deadly, but the poison will make you smell awful for days. It's worse than the spray of a skunk. There's nothing to eliminate the odor. And to top it all off, the ink will give you hundreds of itchy bumps."

"It'll make me smell like a rubbish truck, won't it?" Harry's face scrunched up in disgust.

"Right you are." Severus nodded with a proud smile.

That same day, there was a knock on Severus' door. He didn't get many visitors, and most arrived through the floo, so if someone was at the door, he knew that he either didn't know the person or it was someone he didn't favour, having no access to his floo..

"No cheating." Severus told the boy, quickly making a move in the chess game they were playing before he got up to answer the door.

"I won't." Harry promised, watching Severus' queen stab his knight in a brutal way.

Severus opened the door and froze at the sight of Lupin standing on the other side of the threshold. Lupin was quick, and stepped forward to prevent Severus from shutting him out. He smiled and then his eyes darted behind Severus, searching where ever he could see from his location.

"Well," he warmly broke the silence. "Let me see him. I know he's here."

"You have no authority over him." Severus growled.

"He was the child of my two closest friends, Sever-"

" _Don't_ call me that."

Lupin sighed. "Snape, I'd like to see Lily's son. I thought he looked familiar... Dumbledore's just confirmed my inquiry. I'm sure I can get him to come by and talk you into letting me see Harry."

"Have you come to take him away and raise him? Because he's mine now. I've already opened my life to him. You can't have him. I knew Lily long before you did."

"You aren't the only one who mourned, but no, given my furry little problem, I do not intend to take Harry home with me. I'd just like to see the one thing left of my friends... You surely understand?"

Severus clenched his jaw and, with a low growl, he stepped out of the path for Lupin to come in. "He's in the kitchen." Severus pointed across the way.

"Thank you, Snape, much appreciated." Lupin said gratefully.

Severus watched Lupin introduce himself, and explain who he was. Harry was happy to meet another person who knew his parents. Lupin told him more about Potter, likely knowing that Severus told the boy stories about his mother more than of his father, given their history.

"I brought you a gift, Harry." Lupin said warmly. "To welcome you to the Wizard World." He handed Harry a box.

"Oh, a chess set! I have my own now!" The boy gawked at the red and gold chess pieces.

"It was your dad's, and I know that he would like you to have it."

"Thank you, sir!"

"Call me Remus, Harry." He stood up, and smiled down at the boy. "You're a good boy, Harry. You managed to obtain the greatest qualities of both your parents. You'll make a fine wizard some day." He looked at Severus. "And this man will help you along the way."

"Yeah, Severus is the nicest man ever." Harry added, grinning at the man who stood at the doorway, who was giving Lupin a strange look.

"I'd best be going now. I'll see you soon, Harry."

"Bye bye, Remus!"

"You're a good man. Lily would be proud." Lupin murmured as he passed Severus. "I'll let myself out, thank you, Snape." He announced in his normal voice.

Severus nodded, his mind was stunned a little at Lupin's comment about him being a good man.

But would he say that if he knew that Severus had sentenced his friends to death?

* _/_ *

"Might I ask how you managed such a lengthy travel?" Albus asked, his eyes shining brightly at the young man before him.

James scratched the back of his head absently. "I found this room, it has lots stuff in it. So many things, that I had to wade through some of it. There was this teapot, and I thought..." he shrugged. "Lily's birthday is coming up, and I thought she'd like to have it." He pulled a small pink teapot from a pocket of his robes. "When I emerged from the room, I was in this timeline." James chuckled lightly. "I guess it's a good thing you found me and not someone else."

Albus nodded. "Indeed."

"I can assume that Voldemort's plans fail, since you're still the Headmaster?"

"He does."

James heaved a sigh of relief. "That's good. I would have hated to see how the world turned with him in charge of it."

"All thanks to your son." Albus tilted his head slightly.

"Son?" James' face went to stone in shock at the news. "Did I marry Lily...?" His eyes lit up with hope.

The old wizard casually folded his hands onto the desk in front of him. "Knowing too much about your future can be very damaging, my boy." but his right eye faintly twitched suggestively.

James smirked. "I knew she'd come around and that her resistance was only just a game."

Albus hummed a tune, an indication that he was thinking.

"Yes, Professor?" James knew a bit about the headmaster, he'd been lectured by him enough in his lifetime.

"Things like this never happen for no reason." Albus said, tapping his cheek with a finger. "Before I send you back to you proper time..." he trailed off.

James eyed the Headmaster suspiciously and refrained from groaning. "What do you want me to do now, Professor?"

"Let's take a small trip, shall we?" Albus suggested brightly, summoning up a gold necklace with his wand.

"Okay..." James agreed slowly, knowing he had little choice in the matter.

Albus turned the time turner several times before he and James disappeared with a blur. They stood in what looked like an abandoned neighborhood, tucked away in the shadows of a lone street lamp.

"Do not alert him that we are here." Albus ordered, gesturing to a tall figure across the street.

"Is that Snape?" James asked in a whisper. He let out a snort. "He has a kid? Who in their right mind would sleep with such filth?"

"That child is yours, James." Albus said with a bit of coolness to his voice.

"My son..." James went still, watching the boy set something down at a grave stone, all the while holding the hand of the greasy git's. "Why is my son with him, Dumbledore?" James demanded quietly. "Where am I? Why aren't I with my son? And where's Lily?!"

"Watch and listen." Albus shushed him and cast a spell so the two of them could hear the other pair better.

Snape adjusted the boy's scarf and the boy asked, "Is it good enough?"

"It is better than enough. And I believe your father is enjoying it right this at this very moment."

It took James a few moments to understand what that meant. "I'm dead." He whispered hollowly, watching Snape walk off with his son. He swallowed a forming lump in his throat. "Where's Lily, Professor Dumbledore?" His voice went hoarse. "Tell me... Tell me that she's not-" he didn't finish his sentence. Albus' face told him all he needed to know. "How?!" He demanded.

"You and Lily both died protecting the ones you loved."

"So now..." Snape had disappeared by this time, with his boy. With his orphaned son. "Now that greasy slime ball has _my_ son?!"

"The boy looked happy, wouldn't you say?" Albus asked. "He looked like he was taken care of to me."

"By a Death Eater! How could you let this happen?!"

"Mr. Potter." Albus' tone of voice changed into something cold. "If it weren't for that man, this world _would_ be under the leadership of Voldemort. And if it weren't for that man, your son, who now lives a happy and healthy life, might not even be here today. Severus took the boy in after realizing that he was getting abused in his previous home."

James' eyes narrowed. "Abused? By whom? I'll kill 'em!"

"That is precisely the reason why I am not going to tell you that, but the man you accuse of being a Death Eater is far from it anymore. Maybe once, from lack of proper guidance, he was a follower of Voldemort, but it's very easy talk a troubled young man into things when he has no one else to turn to. By the time Severus realized he had chosen the wrong side, it was too late."

"Once a Death Eater... _always_ a Death Eater..." James muttered.

"It was that, or die..."

"I'd have taken the latter. But we know how Slytherins are; their necks are the most important ones of all."

"That is not an accurate statement. Especially concerning Severus. Severus used his position in Voldemort's trusted circle of servants to protect the same woman you died protecting, always one step ahead. He saved her countless of times without even her knowledge of it. But when Lily's life got in a danger out of his control, he came to me for help, and became a spy for our side, working night and day to ensure her protection. He risked his life for you and your family. If Voldemort had known what Severus was doing, he would have died a horrible and painful death. And, even after all that, she still died, to which he regrets everyday."

"Why would he do that?"

Dumbledore took a moment before answering. "She was his only true friend in the world."

"And now that she's gone..." James' eyes filled with tears. "My son... he'll grow up without his mother..."

Albus nodded gravely.

James stewed over this new information.

"I'd advise not avoiding the path that has already been weaved, unless you wish Voldemort a happy ending."

"Dumbledore... where am I in the past; if I am here in the future?"

"The past is already written, my boy, time still goes on."

"But... am I there? Am I actually there, right now?"

"You are. Otherwise, being here at this exact moment would null your death, but as you see-" he pointed to the grave. _His_ grave.

"So if someone were to come to the future, and say... live a second life, could they?"

Albus studied James for several moments before saying, "They could."

"I'd like to go home now, sir."

"Have you a new perspective, my boy?"

"I do."

"Excellent, I have something that will become very useful in the past to give to you. I trust that you will use it wisely."

* / *

_January 1976_

"Look, Severus-"

"Don't call me that." Severus warned James darkly. "We're not friends, nor will we ever be."

"He's only trying to apologize, Severus." Lily said gently.

Severus' wand was pointed at James, his eyes didn't move from him. "Potter's changed none." He said vindictively. "He's still an arrogant piece of shat; you're just too bloody foolish to see it."

"Or maybe you're just too bloody stubborn to realize a truce when you see one!" Lily retorted.

"Personally, I see no reason why we should even bother apologizing to a Death Eater." Sirius sneered.

Severus' lip curled dangerously. "I haven't taken it yet. I'd hate to give you such _pleasure_. But it won't be long."

"How many more times must you have to kiss his feet before you have the title?"

"Shut it, Sirius." James ordered his best friend for the first time in their friendship. Remus and Peter exchanged looks of surprise.

"You're a bit too late for that, Potter. And you don't have me fooled. You're an arse, and always will be one. I'd never stand along side you, even if the Dark Lord himself ordered me to." With that, he pointedly pushed his way between Sirius and James and stalked down to the dungeons.

Lily couldn't take her eyes off the back of him. He had changed so much in the past few months. There was no turning back for him. Severus was gone forever.

"He's probably too greasy for even Voldemort." Sirius said.

"You're unbelievable, Padfoot!" James growled and stormed off.

"Wait, Prongs!" Sirius whined, hurrying after James. "It's just Snivilus! Why should we even care about _him_?!"

Lily frowned in disturbance. _She_ cared.

Later, up in the common room, James stopped by Lily, who was struggling with her Arithamancy homework, unable to concentrate.

"Can I ask you something, and, if so, would you give me an honest answer?"

Lily didn't look up, her eyes locked on her paper. She shrugged. "I suppose." Her voice was layered with depression. She missed her friend, and was trying think of anything she could to help him.

James sat down in the chair next to her. "What kind of feelings did you have for him?"

Lily looked up at him, offset by his question. "Severus?"

"Well, who else would I be talking about?"

Lily pressed her lips together tightly and shifted in her chair. Her eyes returned to her blank homework sheet. "I... pictured us married once."

"Really?"

"Don't sound surprised." She muttered. "Girls do that, you know."

"I mean... he's just so gross-"

"Looks aren't everything, James." Lily's tone had not changed. "Why are you asking, anyway?! Why does it matter to you? Obviously any relationship I could have had with Severus has been demolished. But it doesn't mean I'll settle for _you_."

James sighed. "I feel things may have been different if I hadn't had done what I did to him. I blame myself for many things..."

Lily lifted a shoulder nonchalantly. "It was his choice to join Voldemort."

"I'm sure I didn't help it."

"No." She agreed coldly. "Probably not."

"So you loved him?"

Lily groaned. "Still do." She set her head into her hands. "But that fantasy life is gone now." She said tearfully. "It can never happen. He's too far gone."

"I am sorry, Lily." James said sincerely. "I never wanted to hurt you. And neither did he."

"It doesn't matter anymore." Lily said, gathering up her things. "The Severus Snape that I used to know no longer exists. Voldemort molded him into the man he wanted, just like he did to the others in Slytherin. There's nothing we can do about it."

"But what if he changed back? Then what?" James asked before Lily could disappear up the stairs to her dorm.

"He won't change, James. " She whispered sadly. It was so quiet that he had barely heard her. "I know him too well. He's set."

Lily woke up a week later, with a small red gift box sitting at the end of her bed on her trunk. Curious, she crawled to the end of the bed and opened it. Inside was a dark purple potion and a tightly rolled up piece of parchment.

Lily unraveled the parchment to read it.

_'Happy Birthday'_

That was it...

The gifter didn't sign it either. Lily set down the parchment and wondered what sort of potion this was. Even though she knew countless of potions, this was one she'd never seen before.

Lily uncorked the stopper and took a sniff. It smelled earthy and... _Was that a hint of chrysanthemum?_

She figured it out then. It was a potion of hope. Hope for the future. She could use a bit of hopeful influence right now. She dipped her finger into the potion and smeared it around her fingers. It felt like luke warm water. Lily replaced the stopper. She'd talk to Professor Slughorn about it, just to make sure it wasn't something dark.

Professor Slughorn smiled after inspecting it. "Someone gave this to you?"

"Yes. Is it poison?"

"No, but it's very special and extremely rare. Also difficult to brew."

"What is it?" Lily asked heavily interested.

Professor Slughorn tutted. "Ah, you'll have to see for yourself, Miss Evans. If I tell you, it wont work properly. You're supposed to trust the potion. If you don't, it'll void itself."

"How can I trust something when I don't even know what it is?" Lily asked helplessly.

Professor Slughorn smirked. "Gee, I don't know. _You're_ the Gryffindor. But, I suppose if you trusted me, you wouldn't need an answer to your question." He winked warmly at her, and set the potion into the palm of her hand. "May the future be bright, Miss Evans."

Lily protected that potion all throughout the day of her birthday. Everyone in her house wished her a happy birthday, and she got dozens of gifts, but she hardly focused much on any of that. Her mind kept wandering back to the potion.

"What're you brewing on?" James asked her in a whisper at dinner, noticing her quietness.

Lily shrugged. "Got a weird birthday gift."

"Yeah? What was it?"

She showed him the potion. "Slughorn said it was safe to drink."

"And do you trust him?" James raised an eyebrow up to her.

"Yeah." She said slowly. "Yes, I do."

"Then what's stopping you from drinking it?" He looked at it closely. "You know, if you don't want it-"

"Not a chance." She snatched it from him. "It's _my_ potion."

"So drink it then. What are you afraid of?"

Lily huffed. "I'm not _afraid_."

"Then?" He prompted her. "Let's see what this potion is capable of. Bottoms up, Lady Gryffindor. "


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Some people are going to hate me for this chapter... but meh, it's what I want to do. Adds to the fluff I wish this to turn out to be.**

**WARNING: There's a particular dropping of the ever 'loved' F-Bomb in this chapter. Just a heads up to my more tender eyed readers.**

* * *

**Chapter 6  
**

Christmas was upon them, and Severus was sure that little Harry had never had a decent one that he could remember. This year was going to be different for Harry though. Severus had made a promise of that.

Like his father, Harry had taken an interest in Quidditch. Something Severus hadn't really paid much attention to in his youth, but he was thinking of getting Harry a broom just the same. Lupin had said that when Harry was a baby he was fascinated with flying.

"I get to buy him the broom." Severus told Lupin when they were discussing what gifts to buy for him. They had been tolerant of each other for Harry's sake. And Severus would never admit it out loud, but Lupin could be useful at times, knowing how to deal with children much better than he, and he had learned some coherency tricks from the werewolf that proved to be effective with Harry (and even Draco).

"I was thinking on the junior Quidditch set anyway. My pockets aren't as deep as yours."

"Good idea." Severus said nodding.

On Christmas Day, Severus had feared he had gotten the boy too much, but Harry was grateful for all his gifts, thanking him for even the new clothes (since he had gained a much needed nearly 10 pounds, in the past two months, and his previous sets had gotten a bit uncomfortable).

Harry was pleased with the game console he had gotten, excited to play Super Mario Brothers, but the boy went completely crazy when he had opened the box that the broom had been concealed in.

" _WHOA_! Is this _mine_ , Severus?" He asked with a high pitched voice.

"Well, it isn't mine, Harry." He slightly chuckled.

Harry grinned widely and mounted the stick like a pro.

"Wait, _wait_!" Severus hastily stood up from the chair he had been sitting in. "Let me teach you how to fly before you break your neck!"

With just a few simple instructions, Severus learned that Harry was a natural. Much like his father had been.

 _That's okay._ He calmly though to himself. _It was bound to happen..._

At the first of the year, Severus and Lupin took Harry, Draco Malfoy, and Neville Longbottom to a wizards play park so they could fly freely without the muggles eyes watching.

"Let's play _Keep Away_!" Draco instantly said and tossed the Quaffle to Harry. His intentions were obviously to encourage Harry to gang up on the unfortunate chubby boy who had little talent.

"Help!" Neville squeaked, as he spun around in circles on his broom just three feet up in the air.

Severus sighed and cast a spell to still the boy's broom. "You must learn to _control_ you broom, Neville, other wise it will control _you_." He lectured.

Harry, Draco, and Lupin were passing around the Quaffle at this point.

"Oi, Neville!" Draco called. "Are you going to come play with us or just dance with your broom all day?" He zoomed off to the Quidditch pitch to toss the Quaffle into one of the goals. "Score!" He cheered, spitting his tongue out at Harry.

Harry did it right back.

"Play nice." Severus scolded. Merlin, he didn't need them to fight. Draco was a spoiled nut who got his way at home, but Lucius didn't appear to side with Draco when it came the boys' squabbling. If Draco wasn't innocent, that is. Which was good, since neither Severus nor Mrs. Longbottom played favourites either. He, Lucius, and Mrs. Longbottom would split up days with the boys, tutoring them on different subjects. Severus taught them potions (of course), reading, writing, and arithmetic's, Mrs. Longbottom educated them on plants and herbs, Lucius would teach them the fine arts and wizard history. It was something Lupin had suggested they do. It gave Harry some time with boys his own age, learning to share and converse between peers, and a head start in his education. Severus had thought it was a great idea.

It also burnt off some much needed energy release, as the boys would often play rowdy games when they were through with their studies.

Half an hour through their play, Severus had been able to get Neville to at least go up and down without the threat of being violently tossed off his broom, when something didn't settle right with him. An odd sensation crawled up his spine. He cast a spell, revealing that his thoughts were accurate.

"Lupin!" Severus alerted, blocking a sudden curse sent out to Harry's head. Many more spells followed.

Lupin looked up and withdrew his wand from his robes. "Gather around me, boys!" He shouted, racing towards Neville. "Hurry!"

Draco screamed and pointed. "Uncle Severus!" Severus swung his broom out of the way of an oncoming attack.

"What's g-going o-on?!" Neville whimpered, huddled by Lupin for his life.

Severus cast a Protego spell and flew himself between the boys and five approaching wizards in masks. The hovered broomsticks, wands aimed threateningly.

"Give us Harry Potter and we'll permit you to live, traitor." One growled.

"Mulciber?"

Severus dodged an attack sent at him. "That's _my_ spell, you fool!" He snarled, angry at the thought of his curse being used against him.

"And you shall die of it!" Cackled another voice Severus didn't recognize. Severus heard a pop then, an indication that someone had disapparated.

"Fuck!" One of the masked men cursed.

They took revenge on Severus since their original target was no longer available. Severus apparated away, but not before one of the Death Eaters' spells hit him square in the gut. Severus collapsed onto the floor of his kitchen in a heap, groaning in pain with laboured breathing. He placed his hand to his stomach, and drew it back when he felt warm liquid drizzle down his fingers.

He tried conjuring up the potion he needed for the cure, but he didn't have the strength, his curse working its magic quickly, as it had been intended to. Severus had been near death before, but never did he ever think he'd die from one of his own creations. He felt his eyes droop close with weakness and then he lost all consciousness.

He woke up in searing pain, bellowing out profanities and pleas.

"Snape!" Lupin tapped his forehead with his wand to alert him. "You need to calm down." His voice was shaky, sounding worried. "Calm down... Else there's... no chance... You're just bleeding too fast."

Severus clenched his jaw and opened his eyes for a moment to see Lupin leaning over him, eyeing his gruesome wound carefully. The colour was gone from his face and he could see the man's lips trembling slightly.

"I'm sorry, Snape..." he whispered tearfully. "I shouldn't have left you with them..."

Severus forced his breathing to slow. He winced and let out a gasp. "Y-You s-saved the boys, that's... all that ma-tters." He said, trying to reassure the man.

"I-I got it s-sealed... but I just can't get it to stay th-that way..."

"You got it-" Severus grimaced in pain and balled up his fists. "Se-aled?" He asked with surprise.

"Yes... but the stitches fall out after just a few minutes."

"There's a-a po-tion in-in my ba-basement..." Severus explained with difficulty of what it looked like and where it was located. Lupin took off quickly to fetch it.

"Po-Po-Pour it-it o-on-" Severus struggled to say when Lupin returned and his eyelids shut again much to the large amount of effort that he was trying to keep himself awake.

* / *

"Master...?"

The voice of Piddles woke Severus up. He grit his teeth, still able to feel the searing fire of the injury. He touched his hands to his stomach and felt a bandage wrapped around his waist. He sighed in relief. Lupin must have gotten the potion to him in time.

"Why are you here?" Severus growled at the house elf that looked at him with wide, teary eyes.

"Piddles felts Master's life fade away. Piddles was afraid that Master has died. Mr. Lupin informs that he thinks Master's life is okay now, but Piddles wants to be sure." He anxiously tugged at his bright green shirt.

"You're a free elf, you thick creature." Severus grunted. "Stop calling me your master."

"Piddles needs his Master Prince." Piddles insisted. "Piddles is sad without his Master. Piddles don't wants to be a free elf."

Severus rolled his eyes. "Hogwash." He then attempted to sit up, groaning in pain, but he had managed.

"Piddles has cooked for Master." the house elf smiled widely and snapped his fingers, making a plate of food appear at the side of Severus' bed. "Master's favorite." He said proudly.

Severus scoffed in disbelief. Since he freed the elf three years ago, he hadn't seen much of him. In fact, the only contact he had gotten from Piddles was the occasional owl informing him that all his assets were in well order and that he met a fine female house elf and had fallen in love with her. Severus never thought that was capable with house elves, but obviously he had learned differently.

"I suppose I'll have to buy you a pair of shoes now." Severus said dryly, taking a bite of the raisin bread. He smiled at the taste. _Just like his mother used to bake it._

"Oh, but not for Piddles, sir, but for Twitchy. Twitchy has ask for pink gloves todays." Twitchy was Piddles' 'girlfriend'.

"Alright, gloves it is then. Thank you, Piddles."

Piddles beamed with a bright smile and bowed. "Piddles thanks Master Prince muchly." He then popped away and Severus chuckled to himself at the loyalty Piddles had. If it wasn't for his annoying high voice, he would have allowed the house elf to live with him, but if he had to hear that squeaky voice all the time, he'd probably go mad.

Besides, he didn't have the room. He was still sleeping on the sofa in his flat. Today had been the first time he had lay in his bed since Harry had moved in.

"Oh, you're up." Lupin came in. He looked better than before. Except perhaps... _messier_.

"How long have you been attending me?" Severus asked slowly as Lupin approached him, casting a spell to inspect his health.

"A week." He replied uneasily.

Severus took another bite of his bread. "Smells like it..."

"It's not like I had much time to wash up!" Lupin growled not all too different than what his creature form would sound like. "I've been making sure you didn't meet the rest of the people that had cared for Harry!"

Severus shifted his eyes to the cup of milk that Piddles had left for him. "Speaking of the boy; where is he?"

"Dumbledore has offered to keep an eye on him for the time being."

Severus nodded approvingly.

"He's a big hit at Hogwarts right now. All the older girls are cooing over him."

Severus scoffed. "Not too unlike his father there."

Lupin smiled. "Harry's been asking about you though. He's worried."

"Well, he can come back home now." Severus said, laying back down to rest "I'm fine."

"It's going to scar..."

"This is not news to me, Lu-" he paused, placing a hand to his clammy forehead. "Remus." Severus said firmly, testing out the name.

Severus swore he heard the neck of Lupin's head snap up, but his eyes were closed when he had said that, so he wasn't so sure. He smirked at the thought of Lupin's probable look of shock.

"Excuse me, Snape?"

"You just saved my life. To which... I am... _thankful_." He said truthfully.

"But when James-"

"Potter did it to save his own arse!" Severus told him bitterly. "You, on the other hand, did it because you wanted to."

"It was my fault-"

"Remus, I would have done the same to you. I surely hope you realize that? Three young boys are worth a hell of a lot more than you are."

Severus earned a smile from that. "Yes." Remus agreed. "That is true, Snape."

Severus pressed his lips together and readied himself for a nap. " _Don't_ call me that."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Lengthy chapter :) It's rare to see 3k worded chapters in my stories... I apologize for this... heh  
**

**Tissues ready? Alright... Begin now.**

* * *

**Chapter 7  
**

As soon as she swallowed the potion, Lily felt a warm feeling rush over her. She smiled as all her worries and fears completely washed away. James was studying her with interest, eager to see what effects the potion had. Lily's eyes then felt heavy, and she had a hard time keeping them open. She felt a light peck of lips touching her forehead before she lost all sense of the things around her.

It lasted for just a second, or so she guessed, because that's what it felt like. The tiredness had also dissipated. She opened her eyes, widening them instantly when she realized she was not where she remembered being last.

_What happened to the Great Hall?_

The vial was still clutched into her hands. Had she been drugged and kidnapped? Her heart began hammering at the thought. She snatched her wand from the sleeve of her robes and looked around.

She was in a house. Standing in a very clean living room, in front of a green bricked fire place. Many tiny portraits of elegantly dressed wizards and witches were hung along the wall, all framed in either silver or purple. Some snored softly, but most were inanimate.

The walls were painted white. Beneath her, was soft, cushiony purple carpeting. There was a desk, and two book shelves on her right. And on the left, was a sitting area with white matching furniture; an over sized sofa, and three wing backed chairs. They semi circled around a fairly large screened telly, bigger than Lily had ever seen before, and a coffee table, to which stood a lone picture.

She narrowed her eyes when she noticed the picture was of her.

"Where _am_ I?" She whispered.

Slowly, she inched her way out of the room and entered a hall path. On the right was a staircase leading up to a second floor, and the left led off to what she believed was a kitchen, seeing the corner of a refrigerator from where she stood.

Lily stopped herself from calling out, just in case her theory of being kidnapped proved to be true. She needed to get out of here. She walked cautiously toward the kitchen and yelped when someone came out of it.

Severus stopped abruptly when he saw her, gasping and clutching his chest. He extending his free hand out to find the wall and leaned up against it for support. He breathed hard and rapid, his eyes wide like he was seeing a terrifying creature. Something didn't look right about him. He was taller, and broader. Not as skinny as he was that morning when she had seen him in the Great Hall. And... he looked older. But maybe that was because of the face he was putting on at the moment.

"Where am I?" She questioned him, her wand still in her hand.

"Y-You...Y-You..." he struggled to say something, his body was pressed hard against the wall.

"What's wrong with you?" Lily demanded. "Is He here? Is Voldemort here?" She glanced around, expecting an attack, but no body came. She stepped toward the man who's mouth sat agape. After making another step toward him, he slid against the wall away from her, his eyes wide, as if she was some sort of monster. Lily narrowed her eyes in confusion. Severus had never looked at her like that before.

"What's going on?!" Lily asked. "Why are you..." she frowned at the sudden thought. "Afraid of me?"

Severus closed his eyes and reopened him, swallowing hard. "Li-ly?" He whispered.

Lily eyed him strangely. Voldemort must have done a wonder on him. She never thought she'd see the day that he'd actually be terrified of her. "I'm not going to hurt you, Severus." She told him with a huff. "Not unless you intend to cause me harm."

His mouth shut, but his eyes still watched her like a hawk, his hand remained clutched to his chest, the other, gripped the wall so hard that his knuckles were white.

"Whose house is this?" Her words were wasted though, Severus was frozen in place, staring at her. "Are you okay?" Lily asked slowly. "You're acting very strange..."

It took another moment before he gathered his senses, his expression changing from terror to awe. "Is... that... really y-you, Lily?" He pushed himself away from the wall, taking just one delicate step toward her and stopping. They were now five or six feet from each other.

"Who else would I be?"

"Then you wouldn't be upset if-if I asked a question to be s-sure?"

"Uh... alright..." An odd request...

"What... type of flower did you first conjure for me when we were ch-children?" He closed his eyes to await her answer.

"A daisy." Lily answered without needing to give it a thought. She smiled faintly at the warm memory; one that she hadn't thought about in a while.

Severus' eyes flew open. "It really _is_ you!" He gasped.

"Why are you so shocked to see me, Severus?"

"Lily..." he said slowly, his hands trembled and folded in front of him. "You..." he then choked out a sob and walked briskly to her, falling down to his knees at her feet, bowing his head. "It was all my fault!" He whispered. "Please, forgive me, Lily!" He grabbed the hem of her robes. "You have no idea how much guilt stings my heart everyday. I just can't bare it anymore! I didn't mean you any harm- I swear it!"

Lily tugged her robes from his grasp. "What in the world are you talking about?!"

"You died six years ago." He sobbed, avoiding her eye contact. "It was all my fault. I didn't mean it, honest! Oh, but you must believe me!"

"I didn't die, Severus... I just celebrated my seventeenth birthday today."

Severus ceased his sobs, and looked up at her. "Sev-Seventeen?"

She nodded. "I don't even know where I am..." she trailed off before sighing. "Would you please stand up? You're making me seriously question your sanity."

"My home, Lily." He answered quietly, standing up. "This is my home."

"Severus?" Someone called out. "I'm back! And you'll never guess what happened! I caught the snitch! You should had seen Dra-"

A boy who looked to be six or seven came into view. His excited talking stopped when he saw Lily. Now it was his turn to stare. His awestruck didn't last near as long as Severus' did though. He smiled widely and ran to Lily. "Mum?!" He exclaimed, wrapping his arms around Lily's waist. "Is it really you, Mum?"

An odd feeling crawled through Lily's body as the boy touched her. Heat and chill all at once, making the hair on her arms stand up. "Uh... I'm not-"

"Harry, go up stairs and put away your things." Severus ordered the boy.

"But Severus-"

"Don't argue with me." Severus told him firmly. " _Now_."

Harry removed himself from Lily, his eyes stared at her, almost with abandonment, as he backed away to go upstairs. Lily had the urge to follow him, feeling like she would never be happy again without his presence.

She didn't know that boy, how could that be at all possible...?

Severus took a deep breath, and pulled out his wand, casting a spell.

"A patronus?" Lily gasped, realizing what he had just done. "A corporeal one?"

"I need you to watch Harry, please." Severus sent the message off before he answered Lily with a nod. "We have a lot to discuss..." he said, shamefully avoiding her eyes.

_Why was he acting so different from this morning?_

"You said this was your house? How could you afford-" she stopped when she clued in on how he could obtain such a nice house. She glared at Severus, "What was it?" She asked, crossing her arms. "An offering to join him? So you finally made it official?! You're an actual Death Eater?!"

"I bought this house after adopting your son six month ago." He informed Lily, a hurtful expression was on his face, but he still wasn't looking directly at her.

"That's not possible! I don't have a son!"

"That boy is really yours, Lily." He said gently. He finally looked at her, staring at her. "Merlin..." he whispered astonishingly.

"What?"

"Are you a ghost?" He raised his arm and poked her in the shoulder.

"Don't do that!" Lily scolded, stepping back from him. "I am _not_ a ghost. I am very much alive."

"That you are." He drawled in thought. "Extraordinary..."

"Severus!" Remus' voice called out. "I came as soon as I got your-" Remus squeaked at the sight of Lily. He looked older too, and had a lot more scars scattered about his face than when she had last seen him at dinner just before she woke up here. "By Gods! Is that... really you, Lily?"

"Please explain to me what is going on!" Lily balled up her fists, annoyed to have them staring at her like she was some priceless piece of crystal.

"What's this?" Severus leaned forward and before Lily knew it, he had obtained her empty potion vial. "Did you take a potion before you came here?"

"Yes..." she said slowly, watching him uncork the vial and smell it.

Thudding came down the stairs as the boy joined them again. "I want to talk to her!" He said with glaring eyes. "She's my mum! I know she is!"

"Please just watch him for a while?" Severus asked Remus in desperation. "At least until we figure this all out...?"

Remus smiled gently. "Of course, Severus."

"No!" the boy ducked from Remus' hand that went to grab at him and ran to Lily. "Please, Mum!" He cried. "It's me, Harry! You're son!"

Remus, always known to be quick, swiftly took out his wand and sent the boy into a slumber, catching his limp body and lifting him into his arms. "I got him now." He assured Severus.

"We should go see Dumbledore." Severus told Lily. "He'll have some what of an idea what's going on."

"Good, because I need answers! Nothing is making sense." She eyed the sleeping boy, noticing that he looked familiar. She hitched her breath as the strong feeling stirred inside her again.

"It's good to see you again, Lily." Remus said with his charming smile.

She politely smiled back, not knowing what to say to that.

"Thank you." Severus hastily said to Remus as he passed him to go to the living room.

Lily was completely confused and clueless. Remus and Severus talking politely to each other? On a first name basis?!

_Had she entered a whole different reality completely?_

"Lily?" Severus questioned when she hadn't moved.

"Yeah... I'm coming..." Lily gave the sleeping boy one last look before following Severus back to the fireplace where he flooed to Albus Dumbledore's office at Hogwarts. She went in right after him.

Her head was spinning, and it wasn't from the effects of the Floo Network.

* / *

"I've been expecting you." Professor Dumbledore said happily, slightly waving a red and gold envelope to Lily.

"Me?"

He nodded.

"What's going on Albus?" Severus asked. "How is she here?"

"It's all in the letter." The headmaster smiled, mystery glowing in his eyes.

Lily opened the letter addressed to her, eager for answers.

" _January 25th, 1976_

_Dear Lily,_   
_By the time you read this, we both will have technically died, but I just couldn't bare the thought of our son growing up without his mother. A child needs his mother, especially one that will be as good as you will be._

_When I asked that if you loved Snape the other day, I did so for a reason, for he will rescue our son from a terrible fate, and, from what I saw our son, Harry, really adored him. Much like you did. Which brings me to the purpose of this letter._

_I want you to forgive him, Lily. As of this moment, I have. He's made mistakes in his past (just as I have), but, by the year 1988, he will have changed almost to an unnoticeable man(not physically of course... I doubt anything can change him in that sense), and he'll need your help with our son. I'd like my son to learn proper hygiene (kidding...! Okay, no I'm not, Snape has a serious problem with keeping his hair clean!)._

_I'll have had my turn to be with you, and I know that he loves you- more than a friend(he has a problem with keeping his eyes off you). We both know that your feelings for him are more than just friendship too, and it won't matter to me what you do in 1988, since I won't be around. I love you, but if you can find happiness with him, I won't judge you for it. Especially since he does make a wonderful father figure to our son. Besides, I'll forget I even wrote this letter as soon as I hand it off to Professor Dumbledore (the one in our time). I did this for safety so our son can save the world without my knowledge interfering with it. I am not sure I could have trusted myself with such information._

_I chose the time that I did specifically before you had a chance to fall in love with me and out of love with him (if you ever did, I really don't know this for sure). I couldn't have you mourn over losing me (knowing that you probably would). I need you to live a happy life, now, Lily. You deserve it out of all the people in the entire world. You can live a life now where you won't have to watch your back every moment in fear of your life. Professor Dumbledore (the one in the future) has told me that it's a lot better without Voldemort's existence._

_Whatever you chose to do, just give yourself and our son the happiness you both truly deserve._

_-Love, your future (yet, non existant to you) husband, James_

_P.S. Tell Snape that I am sincerely sorry for all that I had done to him, and that I am grateful for the generosity he has shown toward my son. I am not sure I would have done the same for his own. He is a better person than I ever gave him credit for._

"Is this for real?" Lily asked, handing the letter off to Professor Dumbledore in complete shock. She had never known James to put another person's feelings before himself. Maybe he wasn't the only one misjudging people.

"It appears to be his handwriting..." Professor Dumbledore mused after a quick look.

"And, what about you?" She directed to Severus.

Severus shook his head in confusion. "What... about me...?" He was then given the letter to read. When he was finished, he placed a hand to his forehead, and let out a quiet groan.

"Well?" Lily asked Severus.

"It... would make sense as to why you are here, after I watched you get..." he closed his eyes and swallowed. "...buried." he finished in a whisper.

"But is what he wrote true?"

Severus' eyes shifted to the ceiling. "What about?" Lily had an idea that he knew exactly what she was talking about.

Perhaps he didn't want to admit it right now...

"I already witnessed you fathering my-" she gasped as the realization struck her. _It was true..._ That little boy _was_ her son...! Lily walked to the fireplace. "Take me back, Severus! I want to see my son!"

Severus nodded and flooed back to his home, speaking the address very clear. The last thing she saw of him was his pitch black eyes. They were completely still, unmoving from her own. The flames engulfed him, and he was gone.

"Keep an open mind, Miss Evans. This has all occurred for a reason." Lily heard Professor Dumbledore say before she also departed into the Floo Network.

Severus stood there, ensuring that she had made it back and then swept out of the living room."Remus? We're back!" He stopped at the bottom of the staircase.

"Wonderful!" Remus appeared at the top of the stairs a moment later. "That was quick, How'd it go?"

Lily pushed passed Severus and raced up the steps. "Where's the little boy?" she asked.

"Harry's in his room." Remus showed her to Harry's room. A perfect room for a little boy. Blue walls with a red and white toy chest, and dresser. Lily stopped in her tracks when she seen the quilt that she had made draped over her sleeping son.

Inching her way to Harry, her breathing slowed at the thought of being seventeen and a mother.

His glasses were off and placed on the nightstand next to his bed. His hair as messy as James' ever was. Lily touched his shoulder in awe, her heart feeling immensely heavy. "Harry..." she whispered. And somehow, although, Lily wasn't sure how, she had instantly fallen in love with the boy.

She pointed her wand at him and twisted it to wake him from his spell induced slumber. Harry's eyes opened and blinked. When he saw her, he smiled. "Mum!" He bolted up and wrapped his arms around her neck. "Are you here to stay?" He asked worriedly. "You aren't going to die again, are you?!"

Lily hugged him back, sighing in complete comfort, embracing the idea of her sudden motherhood. "I'm here to stay, my sweet Harry." She told him softly, and kissed his cheek. "Mama loves you so much."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8  
**

Severus stopped at Harry's bedroom on his way up to the bathroom. Her voice still made his insides leap and his pulse pump wildly. It was a miracle... Lily was back. Sent from the past, according to Potter's letter to her. She was here to take care of Harry. It was also implied that she liked him more than a friend. But how much more? Did she tell Potter that she _loved_ him? And what if she didn't?

He frowned and leaned up against the door. Was she going to take Harry away from him? He had grown to love the boy in the past fifteen months, Severus wasn't sure what he would do if Harry wasn't in his life anymore.

"It's very impolite to eavesdrop." Remus whispered, stepping up to him.

"I thought you left?"

"I forgot my mug. Left it in Harry's room."

"He's reading to her." Severus informed.

"A Snitch Through Time?" Remus grinned.

"Harry knows no other book." Severus replied dryly.

"It should be fitting, given her recent time travel."

"I can't believe she's back..."

"You look worried though." Remus noted. "What's wrong? Shouldn't you be floating in the clouds right now?"

"I fear... she'll take Harry away."

"Raising a child on your own is extremely difficult, you know that."

Severus scoffed. "Lily could do it easily."

"Maybe she'll want support though, and she's already seen how you are with Harry. I think you're worrying over nothing."

The doorknob turned and Severus quickly removed himself from the door before Lily could open it.

"He's asleep." Lily informed quietly.

Remus accio'ed his mug. He looked between the two of them and gave a slight nod. "Good night, you two."

"Night Remus." Lily hugged the man and watched him descend down the stairs to go home. Lily smiled at Severus, and he hinted that there may had been a bit of shyness to it.

"Can we... talk?" He requested.

"We ought to. Do you have any tea?"

"Of course." He led the way down to the kitchen and set the kettle on the stove to heat the water.

"Thank you." She told him. "For taking care of Harry. He's such a charming little boy. It's a shame I missed so much of his youth..."

Severus glanced away when he saw her wipe a tear from her eye. "Lily... I couldn't let anything happen to him... but I'll be honest... I'd not have done it for any other child. _Especially_ Potter's."

"Why did you do it then?" Although, he wasn't exactly looking at her, he knew her eyes were piercing him. He had always known each and every time she had looked at him. He never understood how he could feel them, but he did. _Every_ time.

"One look was all it took."

"For what?"

He looked at his hands in his lap. "It's those bloody eyes." He whispered. "Just like the moment 18 years ago."

"What happened 18 years ago?"

He slowly met her eyes, gazing into them, grateful that she was there in his life again. It didn't matter how long for. The woman he loved was sitting across the table in front of him. She needed to know. Lily needed to know just how much he loved her.

Severus broke the eye contact.

_He just couldn't say it._

He inwardly cursed himself for being a bloody coward. _Why couldn't he just say it?!_ Why couldn't he tell his Lily Flower that he loved her more than life itself and would do absolutely _anything_ for her?!

Because he was afraid... He was afraid she didn't share the same feelings, and he'd only look like a fool. Then what sort of friendship would they have?

But they didn't have a friendship... Lily broke that off in their 5th year...

_Unless..._

No, he couldn't get his hopes up. Just because some boyfriend of hers told her to forgive him, doesn't mean she would.

Oh, but how he'd do anything for her forgiveness. He never meant to hurt her. He had only been an idiot. A foolish adolescent who lashed out during a moment of incredible embarrassment.

Lily sighed. "I thought you wanted to talk..."

"Lily... I-"

 _-love you! Say it, man!_ His insides screamed.

Severus cleared his throat. "Um... Harry and I, we've gotten immensely close during the past year. And... well... I am not sure it would be good for him if he were... suddenly separated from the first person he considered his family."

Lily frowned in thought. "He's my son, Severus. He's going to live with me..."

"Then move in." He blurted before he gave it any thought. "I mean... Y-You can... mo-move in- if you want..."

"You'd do that for me?" She asked uncertainly.

_Oh, if you'd only knew what I would do for you, Lily._

Severus nodded and got up to turn off the whistling tea kettle, serving them both a cup of tea.

"You know, it seemed to me that James was hinting around to something in his letter." Lily said and took a sip of her tea.

Severus busied himself by conjuring up a box of biscuits to dip into his tea. "What about?" He asked and shoved a full biscuit into his mouth.

"I think he wanted Harry to have both a mother and a father." Lily leaned over the table and snatched a treat from the box. She took a thoughtful nibble off it. "You read the letter, he was quite thankful that you are around for Harry."

Severus choked a little. He took a gulp of tea to wash his throat. She wasn't really saying what he thought she was, was she?

"So?" She asked, swirling the rest of her biscuit in her cup.

"Hmm?"

"Wouldn't you agree?"

"I..." _Oh, Gods!_ _What was she saying? What was she doing? She wasn't thinking clearly!_ She was only seventeen! He was almost thirty! And... there was no possible way she could love him. He was a greasy, slimy Slytherin git! The opposite of the man she had married.

Severus finished his tea with one last swallow. "I... need a shower." He rinsed his cup and placed it into the drainer. "Pick whichever free room you want." He told her.

He felt her eyes piercing his back. His heart ached, but there was no way he would force her into a relationship if her feelings didn't match his. No matter how much he wanted to hold her in his arms and never let her go.

* _/_ *

"Are you going to marry my mum?" Harry asked Severus at breakfast that morning. Harry took a bite of his cereal, chewing it slowly, and looking at Severus for an answer.

Severus let out a nervous sound. He had tried to laugh, but it came out more as a cross between a gasp and a snort. "Why would you think that, Harry?"

"You love her, don't you?"

"How would you know anything about that?" Severus demanded.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Severus, your eyes get all googly when you look at my mum."

" _Googly_?" Severus drawled with slit eyes.

"Like Draco's dad when he looks at Draco's mum. Draco says his father is head over heels in love with his mother." Harry then grinned. "And they kiss a lot too. I've seen them do it."

Severus' mind wandered, thinking about Lily's lips and how they would feel pressed against his own. He shook his head to clear his perverted thoughts. He couldn't think about Lily that way... Not in front of the boy...

Harry was staring at him, the grin still presently displayed on his face. "Are you thinking about my Mum again?"

Severus stiffened. "You will say no more inappropriate things about your mother. Do you understand me?"

Harry looked confused. "How was that bad?"

Severus sighed and quartered an apple with just a tap of his wand. "Your mother doesn't like me in that way, and in order for two people to have a close relationship such as the one you have suggested, both parties must share the same feelings of each other."

"If I were my Mum, I'd marry you, Severus." Harry said. "You're the best man alive. And I love you." He got up to hug Severus.

Severus cleared his throat uneasily. "I love you too, Harry, you good boy." He pat the back of Harry's head. "Now go finish your breakfast."

Lily walked in a few minutes later, smelling clean from her shower. She smiled and greeted them cheerily, kissing the top of Harry's head. "How's my sweet boy this morning?"

"Good!" Harry answered with a bright smile.

Severus watched her dish a plate of breakfast and sit down at the table. She looked at him, making his stomach lurch up what little breakfast he had eaten.

"I hope you don't mind, I had to borrow some of your shampoo. I'll go shopping for my own in a bit. Professor Dumbledore sent me an owl this morning, giving me a key to..." she laughed a little, pausing to think of what she was about to say. "Well, to a Gringotts back account that James and I apparently shared during our marriage. It's just silly to think about it, you know?"

Severus gave a tiny nod, agreeing with her. But it was true. Potter had found a way to steal her heart away- somehow or another. It still confused him to this day. Thankfully, Potter had had enough sense (or a heart) to send her back before that all happened.

And if he could ever thank Potter for something, that would be it.

"I'll probably drop by my parents house too, they'll be happy to hear that I'm back."

 _Oh, Gods, how could he tell Lily about her parents...?_ Severus shifted in his seat uncomfortably. "Lily," he started slowly. "You... won't be able to do that..."

Lily frowned and wiped her lips with a napkin. "Why not?"

Severus set his fork down but didn't remove his hand from it. His fingers tapped nervously. He couldn't look at her. He wouldn't be able to stand to see the sadness in her eyes. Her beautiful eyes.

He sighed. "They are gone..."

"Are they dead?" She squeaked.

"Where it concerns you, they may as well be..."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Lily demanded crossly.

Severus took a breath. "I had to do it Lil'... To protect them... They would have died if I didn't..."

"What'd you do?"

"In the dark days, they were targeted... And during the raid-" Severus glanced toward Harry who was listening closely. "Harry, go wash up, please."

Harry groaned, annoyed that he wouldn't be able to listen any further, but did as Severus said.

"I intercepted their _fate_ and sent them away, wiping their memories and creating a new life for them. That way they wouldn't come back for you." He sighed.

"And... Tuney? What about her?"

"Pentunia was never targeted since you didn't communicate with her by that time, but I learned that you and your husband went to her house after your parents disappeared and put their lives under protection."

"Did you tell me what happened to them?"

"No... You refused talk to me and I couldn't jeopardize anymore lives anyway... I had to make you believe they had disappeared. In those days, you really didn't know who you could trust. There was so much side jumping, it was often aching to keep up with. It was one reason why Albus was the only one who knew I was a spy for him."

"You were a spy for Professor Dumbledore?" Lily was shocked.

"And also the Dark Lord..."

Her narrowed her eyes. "And just which side were you really on?"

Severus stood up and collected the empty plates from around the table with his wand, nonchalantly sending them to the sink. "Just yours, Lily."

"Just mine? So you were on Professor Dumbledore's side?"

The dishes started washing behind his back. He found something to gaze at so he wouldn't have to look at her questioning eyes. "I fought in the war for you."

"But you supported blood purity..." she said accusingly.

"I was fifteen, Lily." he sighed in defeat. "I didn't fit in anywhere, I only wanted a place to belong. Everyone was accusing me of training to be a Death Eater already, especially the Gryffindors." he gave her a pointed look. "Everyone thought that Slytherins were bad, and automatically would follow The Dark Lord. Most Slytherins most were pressured into it. And, I'll admit it, every muggle except you and your parents were awful to me all because I was a wizard or a nasty looking poor kid who didn't deserve to breathe the same air as them, so, yes, I kind of felt that the muggles deserved the same treatment. I was bitter when it came to muggles."

"That's really awful..." she whispered, horrified at his words.

"It's was simple truth, but it was also something I thought in the days of my childhood. I've learned a grand deal since then. And no matter if your a muggle, wizard, or mixed, no matter how awful you are, no one deserves to be ripped apart from the inside out, all the while, screaming for your dear life..."

Lily shuddered.

"Something I was forced to watch... over... and over..." Severus told her blankly, casting his Occulmency spell to hide his traumatic expression from her.

"You didn't do any of it though?" She asked worriedly. "Did you hurt anyone?"

"I was useful in different ways. The Dark Lord discovered early on that I wasn't as dark as the spells I was creating. I was too much of a coward to cast the curses. I am clean though... at least when it comes to intentional _destruction_ , but it doesn't mean that no lives were lost from my actions. I put your family in danger, without even realizing it, and it is something I have regretted since. When you died, I about killed myself. I was drowning in so much guilt that I just couldn't take it. It wasd the worst pain I have ever had to endear, which is saying something."

"What stopped you from doing it?"

Severus shifted his eyes from the wall he had been staring at to look at her. She was listening, trying to get a feel on what he was thinking. To understand him Caring, yet, not quite trusting.

"Dumbledore explained to me that while The Dark Lord had fallen, his true supporters would be searching to kill his successor in pure down and out revenge. This successor was your son..." he closed his eyes, groaning. "That bloody old man...He literally handed me your baby to hold... 'Look, Severus. Look at him' he said to me. 'Lily lives in that boy you hold there.'" Severus sniffed. "It was true. One single look into his wide, baby green eyes was all it took." He said with a cracking voice. "Then, he said, 'Lily would disapprove of it, my boy. You are so much stronger than that.'"

Lily dabbed her eyes with a napkin. "So there are still Death Eaters roaming about?"

"Most have been caught, yes, but Harry's protected from anyone who intends him any harm. I charmed him with a protection spell." Severus informed proudly.

"How do you know who was on which side?"

Severus rolled up the sleeve to his right arm, exposing a pale, sallow limb. "When the Dark Lord died, The Dark Mark disappeared from those who truly didn't support him. This includes those who were forced by threats or spells, and those who switched sides; like myself."

Lily stood up all the while eyeing his arm, and walked to him. She touched her hand to his skin and ran her fingers up his arm to the crease of it. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach at her touch, and his skin layered itself with goosebumps as his hair stood up on end.

Lily smiled. "You... really have changed." She whispered.

"Still not a fan of muggles though..." Severus muttered.

"Maybe your opinion of that will change too." She said hopefully.

"Probably not."

The air got heavy as Lily wrapped her arms around his waist and set her head against his chest. A moment later she giggled. "Sev, your heart is beating really fast."

"Ye-" Severus cleared his throat, trying to find his voice, stunned by her calling him by his nickname. Something he hadn't heard in years. He wet his lips. "Yes." he said more firmly.

Lily sighed. "When are you going to tell me your secret?"

"What secret?"

She pulled back to look at him. "We've been given a second chance, love, don't ruin it."

Severus coughed. "Lo-ve? You... l-love m-me?"

Lily tenderly raised a hand to touch his cheek. "Always." She whispered. "Since the very first day that I met you."

* * *

**A/N: Yes, sappy, I know. Sue me! *Love for Severus, yay!"**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: This ended up being much longer than I intended, but there's not much I could do. I just hope doesn't seem too choppy :/  
**

* * *

**Chapter 9  
**

Severus was positively stunned. The girl he had loved for so many years had said what he had dreamed of her saying since he had hit puberty. His pulse raced quickly. He was nervous, anxious, excited, and joyful. Many more emotions flooded through him, so many he got a bit dizzy from it all. His breathing quickened from them.

Lily still awaited an answer from him. She wanted to hear him say it. He had never said it in his life. He had always kept it bottled up. Very few people knew about his love for Lily Evans. The Dark Lord had discovered it during their first meeting after casting the offensive mind reading spell. He had also used Lily against Severus to get what he wanted from him. Just as Albus Dumbledore had.

It had not been long at all after finding out that the Dark Lord could read minds before Severus learned to cast Occulmency. The Dark Lord had been mildly disappointed, but also highly impressed by this. The fact that Severus learned such a difficult spell over a summer without any tutour, made The Dark Lord want him even more. He had many plans on how the muggleborns were going to live (most suggested a worse fate than that of the house elves), but The Dark Lord had assured Severus that Lily would be spared if he could get the girl to switch sides.

Of course Lily didn't switch. And Severus was grateful for that. His Lily; the angelic one. Because of her selflessness, she had died, aiding in The Dark Lord's fall. Severus lived freely now. Most of the time, anyway. Albus still occasionally held the promise over his head though, but Albus was the lesser of two evils. Severus would admit that, and could even consider the man a friend, when he wasn't using Severus as a pawn in some plan he had concocted.

Remus had also figured it out easily. He didn't need some spell to know. He had known Severus and Lily were close friends in their early days of Hogwarts. He had also known that Severus' hate for Potter was a deep to the bone, and knew it wasn't just a silly childhood rivalry.

"Sev?" Lily whispered.

Severus' eyes regained focus, pulled from his thoughts. He smiled, admiring the beautiful gems of her eyes. He swallowed hard, wetting his dry throat. "I... love you... too." He whispered slowly. He clasped his hands around her upper arms. Nothing was said between them while they studied each other passionately. Severus leaned down, smelling her long, flowing locks of red hair. It smelled like his hair; lemon and apples. He moaned softly. He thought it was the perfect mix for her. His eyes wandered down to her slightly parted lips, and he placed his hands up to her neck, feeling her own pulse thudding rapidly.

 _She did love him!_ Lily wanted _him_. She was choosing him this time.

Severus brought his face down to Lily's, resting his forehead onto her own. He watched her close her eyes in anticipation. Her face flushed with a red heat, and her breathing matched his.

"Lily...?" His lips grazed hers ever so softly, just enough to tickle them both, increasing their need.

"Hmm?" Her voice had gotten deeper; croakier and shakier.

"Can... I... k-kiss you...?" Severus asked very slowly. He knew the answer would be a yes, but he was still wary of it.

Lily bit her lip for a second then hastily stood on her tiptoes to press her lips to his.

A sharp jolt shot through their bodies as soon as their lips connected. They gasped at the shocking feeling, and instantly broke the connection, staring at each other. Their minds began racing, trying to decipher what had just happened.

"A...bond." Severus whispered in realization after several moments of silence.

"Of love?" Lily asked. It made sense to her; once he had said it.

Severus nodded and Lily smiled. "We both fell in love at the first sight of each other. When our eyes met." She explained without needing to.

"We must not have noticed it. Being so young..." Severus mused.

"So young..." Lily agreed. "We didn't even know what love truly was then."

Severus looked down at the woman before him. They had separated their bodies during their thought process. "Err... Did you want to... seal it... Or...?" He looked away and held his breath. He could hear a vibration in his ears from the hopefulness that Lily may in fact be his forever.

"Look at me." he heard her say, to which he obliged. Her hand was held out, and in it was a daisy flower. The petals moved as if a breeze of wind was blowing on them. "Take my hand, Sev." She said softly.

He didn't think it were possible for his heart to pound any harder, but as soon as their hands touched, as soon as he felt Lily's flower against his palm, it sped up even faster.

"Yes." She whispered.

"I'm not the... best man out there." Severus warned her.

She wrapped her arms around him. "You've done your best with what was dealt to you, love, and you'll keep trying, won't you?"

"What ever you want, Lily. I'll do anything for you."

Her hold on him got tighter. "Let's seal the bond then." Lily permitted. "Before it drives us into insanity."

"Alright..." Severus said uneasily and hugged her back. He could hardly believe this was happening. "R-ready?"

Lily nodded and smiled.

Severus tilted his head to the side. He made the move and kissed his love. The shocking jolt of the bond wasn't as aggressive this time as they embraced their fate, both under full comprehension of the bond they were sealing between each other. Ribboned lights of many different colors circled around the two, the same magic seen from some fairytale film.

Perhaps they kissed too long, neither noticed- or cared, full filling a deep desire that they had been suppressing for many years. " _Now_ are you going to marry my mum?" The voice of Harry immediately broke the kissing couple.

Their cheeks turning red, blushing from being caught by the boy. Lily touched her tingling lips, while Severus licked his, unwilling to end his ravishing of her mouth so soon. If he didn't have a seven year old boy in the house, he would have even taken Lily up to his bedroom right there and then.

_And now he needed a shower. A cold one._

Severus cleared his throat. Unable to look away from Lily, he said, "In a manner of speaking... we have just completed a diverted ceremony to the traditional marriage agreement."

"So... does that mean you're married?" Harry asked with confusion.

Lily drove her eyes from Severus' to look at her son. "Unofficially, yes, Harry."

Harry cheered and ran to his mother. "You love him! I knew it!" He exclaimed, hugging her. With a wide smile, Harry leaned toward Severus and took his hand, pulling it to Lily connecting their hands together to hold then he ran off.

Lily giggled at her son's excitement. "Harry, where are you going, baby?"

"To floo Uncle Remus!" Harry called back from the living room.

Severus sent Lily a puzzled look before leading her by the hand to the living room where Harry was squatting down at the fireplace.

"Hi, Uncle Remus!" Harry greeted the head that the flames formed.

"Is something wrong?" Remus asked in alarm. "Where's Severus and your mother?"

"We're right here." Severus spoke up.

"Can I stay with you for a couple days? My mum and Severus are going to go on their honeymoon, and I can't be with them." Harry lowered his voice. "They may kiss too much!"

"Harry!" Lily squeaked out in surprise at Harry's words.

"Say what?" Remus chuckled, thinking Harry may have misunderstood something that had been said. A common thing kids his age did.

"They got married!" Harry informed the man happily.

Severus squeezed Lily's hand and they stepped up behind Harry. "It's true." He confirmed.

"Get out of the way, I'm coming through." A moment later, Remus appeared. "Married?" He questioned his friends with raised eyebrows. "You waste no time at all..."

"Through a love bond." Lily said. "It's not really official."

"Yet." Severus added.

Remus nodded in understanding. "Powerful things, those love bonds."

"What's a love bond?" Harry asked curiously, taking Severus' free hand into his.

"There's several types." Remus told him. "It's a strong magical connection between two people."

"Severus and I have a special one that forms when love at first sight occurs."

Harry wrinkled his nose. "That stuff is _real_?"

"It is." Severus nodded. "The bond makes itself known when those two people kiss for the first time."

"And what if they don't ever kiss?"

"That is not something we will have to worry about, Harry." Severus said quietly.

"Obviously not!" the boy laughed. "You even had your tongues involved! Yuck!"

"Harry!" Lily squeaked again, covering her face with her hands.

Severus pursed his lips in an effort to hide his embarrassment.

Remus burst out into laughter.

"What?" The boy asked innocently. "What'd I do?"

"Seven year olds have no limits, do they?" Remus ruffled up Harry's hair, and the boy giggled. "So, when _is_ the honeymoon?"

"Remus!" Lily gasped. "We should have an official ceremony first!"

"Oh, please tell me it's not going to have a lot of people." Severus groaned.

"I promise it won't be too big." Lily said, wrapping an arm around his.

* _/_ *

"I want to invite Tuney." Lily announced a couple days later as she and Severus made their wedding plans.

"That's probably not a good idea..." Severus advised, as he scribbled a note to Albus.

"After all these years, maybe she'll have changed her mind about me... and... the magic world."

Severus carefully set down his quill and looked at her in silence for a few moments. "I promised your son he'd never have to see that muggle woman and her whale of a husband again." He announced coldly. "And, as you know, I do not break my promises."

"And why would you do such a thing, Severus?" Lily narrowed her eyes.

Pressing his lips together in annoyance, Severus picked his quill back up to return to writing his invitations. "There's a reason Harry lives with me, Lily." He said with his eyes glaring at the piece of parchment. "One of them, or both of them-I don't care which, hurt that little boy. Smacked him around like he was worth nothing to them."

Lily gasped. "You're serious?! Tuney?!" her mouth dropped in disbelief. "I can't... believe that..."

"I'd tell you to ask Harry about it, but why bring up such horrid memories, hmm? The boy thought my wand was a beating stick, Lily. He was incredibly happy when I offered him a home with me."

Lily's lips turned pale as she pressed them together. Her eyes blazed up with a sudden rage. She picked up her wand that had been laying at the table.

"Now, Lily-" Severus didn't get to finish his sentence as Lily stood up from the table they had been sitting at and stalked out of Severus' study. "Wait, Lily!" Severus heaved a sigh and hurried after the woman. It was a good thing she didn't know how to apparate yet, he was able to catch up with her easily and snatch a hold of her shoulders, turning her around to face him.

"Let me go, Severus!" She growled and tried to escape his grasp.

"Think about what you're about to do." He told her. "You can't perform magic around them, Lily. It's against the law, and you'll get into lots of trouble."

"Let...Me... Go...!" she hissed, her hand gripping her wand. "Or... I'll-"

Severus pulled her to him, pressing her body against his. He kissed her then. It was an effort just to simply confuse her. Their bond of love having a great power over them when they did such an intimate act. Their mouths fought eagerly for dominance, neither allowing the other to gain control.

"Th-Think...about... H-Harry...!" Severus said through panting when he finally broke the kiss off. He closed his eyes, stifling a moan. Kissing her was almost torture. Mostly because they had agreed not to do anything more until after the wedding, but their bodies wanted much more. Their bodies _needed_ more. Much more.

Lily stared at him with an aroused look, slightly grinning, lost in the moment of the kiss. She reached out, placing her hands to his chest.

"L-Lily-y..." he closed his eyes and told himself to ignore the hot desire building up in his belly. _And below his belt._ He groaned as her fingers found their way through his robes and undershirt. Severus snatched her wrists, stopping her from going any further. "Not now, my love." He whispered firmly, then he delicately removed the wand that was tucked into her hand. "We'll go see Petunia." He told her. "But I am going to hold onto your wand- for safety precautions."

Lily nodded, snapping out of the trance at Petunia's name mentioning. "Apparate me then." she ordered, her coldness returning.

A moment later, Severus apparated them to safe house nearby the Dursley's home. Lily wasted no time and began marching out of the house. She knew the neighborhood, having had visited Petunia a couple times in her past.

With a quick wave, Severus dressed himself into something muggle and scowled in disgust, but it was broad daylight, and he didn't want to make a scene. More of one than Lily was about to make, anyway.

His long legs allowed him to catch up with her, and by the time Lily had made it to the front stoop of her sister's home, she was panting from the steamy walk she had just done. Lily reached up and thudded three times on the door.

The brunette haired woman, who looked nothing like her beautiful sister, opened the door and shrieked in terror at the sight of her dead sister, backing up from the door. Lily stepped in, fists clenched to her sides, breathing heavily in anger. Severus followed her closely inside and shut the door. He crossed his arms, his wand in his hand in case he had to stop something from happening.

"Lily?" Petunia squeaked, shivering in fear.

"What did you do to my _son_ , Petunia?!" Lily growled. Severus about shuddered at her tone, thanking himself he was not on the receiving end of that.

"I-I-" Petunia continued to back away, but Lily followed and snatched the collar of her sister's perfect dress.

"Did you hurt my little boy?!" Lily demanded. "Did you hit him?!"

"No! Don't hurt me!"

"Answer me, Tuney!" Lily shouted. "Or I'll turn you into a mouse!"

"I-I didn't!" Petunia struggled. "It wasn't me!"

"Vernon?"

Petunia nodded, whimpering some. "I-I told him to stop! He wouldn't listen! He told me that he was only doing what I wanted- beating the freak out of the child."

Severus rolled his eyes. Tobias had said the same bloody thing to him when he was a child. He had said it to his mother too. Fists and belts can't remove the magic from a witch or wizard though. Muggles were brainless.

"And _where_ is your bloody husband?!" Lily asked.

"He's in..." Petunia's eyes filled with tears. "Prison..." she whispered.

Lily removed her hand from her sister, her anger was fading. "Why?" She asked slowly.

"After Harry disappeared that day, and that Dumbly-"

" _Dumbledore_." Severus corrected with a snarl.

"Dum-ble-dore..." Petunia emphasized slowly. "Sent us a letter saying we were no longer responsible for the boy, since we had little care for him, Vernon... he..." Petunia sobbed. "Without Harry to take his anger on, he went after my little boy!"

"You have a son, Tuney?" Lily asked softly.

Petunia nodded. "Dudley... Anyway, when I tried stopping him, he knocked me out cold!"

Lily's eyes widened. "Tuney..." she said soothingly and took her sister into her arms. "Oh... Tuney..." She whispered.

"I filed charges against him." Petunia sobbed onto her sister's shoulder. "I couldn't let him hurt my baby and me."

Severus huffed. "But Harry was different?! Because _he_ was a _freak_!"

Petunia's eyes fell down to the floor. "Lily, I'm so sorry... Really...! I was just so bitter and cold...! After losing Mama and Papa, and then you." She burst out into sobs. "How is Harry?" She asked after a moment.

"Fine... no thanks to you." Lily muttered.

Petunia sniffed and wiped her eyes, smearing her makeup. "My son... he's... one of you..." she said with a whisper.

"He's magical?" Lily asked with surprise.

Petunia nodded slowly. "I just noticed it the other day. He has been purposely hiding it from me, afraid that I would hate him for it."

"That poor boy!" Lily shrieked. "You don't, do you?!"

"Of course not, Lil'! He's my baby!"

"Well, I am your sister and you hate _me_!"

"No, Lily..." Petunia cried. "I never hated you! I love you so much! I only envied you! That's all! You had _everything_! The perfect life! Even Mama and Papa loved you more because you were _special_! I had nothing..."

"I can not _believe_ you invited her to our wedding." Severus grumbled an hour later on their way back to the safe house.

"She's my sister, Sev, and, right now, she really needs me. If I can help her, then I'm going to!"

* / *

"Harry James Potter! Get out here right this minute!"

"No!" Harry shouted. "You promised me! Severus, you promised!"

Severus clenched his jaw in frustration. He already felt absolutely horrid and the boy was making him feel ten times as worse.

He was alone with the Harry, Lily was off tending to Remus who had had a bad night previously and needed some of his wounds sealed.

"Well...things... change." Severus said helplessly.

"You said I'd never have to see them again!" The boy sounded like he was crying. Or rather trying not to.

"I know what I said..." Severus then cursed under his breath. He had warned Lily that Harry didn't like The Dursleys, but she insisted that her sister and nephew attend the wedding. "Your aunt has promised she would be very nice to you." Severus said to the closed door.

"And _you_ promised that I would never have to see her again! I guess promises mean nothing!"

Severus could had just open the locked door easily with magic, but Harry was the type of person that needed to stew in solitude before he'd ever cool down. Forcing it would just make him angrier.

"Alright, Harry, when you want to talk, do let me know, please." Severus said and went down to the living room. He tried reading a book but couldn't focus on it. He could not stop thinking about the promise that he had to break to the boy. Severus didn't doubt that he felt as bad as Harry did about the situation.

"What's wrong?" Lily's voice caused him to sit up straighter and inhale deeply.

"I told Harry that your sister and her boy would be coming to the wedding. He got this sick look on his face and started yelling tawdries at me. He then ran up to his room and shut himself in it. He refuses to reason." Severus grunted. "He's definitely going to be a Gryffindor; hard headed little brute."

Lily frowned. "I'll see if I can talk to him."

"Best to just leave him alone for a while." He warned her. "Harry has a cheeky tongue when he's unhappy."

Lily ignored his warning, walking passed him.

"Don't take what he says seriously, Lily." She heard him say before going up to the second floor.

Lily tapped on Harry's door.

"Go away!"

"Harry sweety, it's Mummy." Lily said in her most gentle voice. "Can I talk with you?"

"Only if you tell that bitch muggle she can't come to the wedding!"

Lily's eyes widened at her son's words. " _Harry!_ " She took a deep breath, considering Severus' warning, and forced herself to remain calm. "I can't, darling, Mummy already said she could go."

There was a long paused, and Lily had to speak out his name before he said another thing. "But she really hates me, Mum..." Lily let herself into Harry's room. He was sitting on the floor by his bed, his head held in his hands.

"Come give me a hug, baby." She whispered, holding out her arms to him.

Harry looked up and wiped his face clean with the back of his hand. He ran to Lily, tucking his face against her, sniffing.

"She doesn't hate you, and she never did." Lily explained. "She was only jealous because we are special and she's not. She has had to overlook that though, do you know why?"

Harry shook his head.

"Dudley, your cousin, he's a wizard."

Harry leaned back to look up at his mother, gawking at her. "He _is_?!"

"Yes, he is, and Mummy needs to help Aunt Petunia with him, so she knows what to do for him."

"He'll... He'll go to Hogwarts with me?"

"If that's what they want, yes, but there are also other schools he can go to."

Harry's face fell sadly. "Dudley will tease me. He's not nice. He's a big bully."

Lily lifted his chin up so he would look up at her. "Mummy won't allow that. And neither will Aunt Petunia- if she knows what's good for her."

"I won't have to do what Aunt Petunia says then?" Harry asked warily.

"No, Harry, your Aunt Petunia has no authority over you." she pulled her son back into her arms, kissing the top of his head. "Mummy, Severus, and Remus, we'll all protect you, just as we've always done, okay?"

Harry relaxed against her, sighing. "Okay, Mum."

"Feel better now?"

"Lots."

"Can you forgive Severus?" She asked him. "It's was not his fault Mummy is so forgiving. He didn't want Aunt Petunia coming to the wedding neither."

"Yeah, I can." The boy said quietly.

"He's downstairs in the living room. Go and give him a hug; he needs it."

Severus grunted uncomfortably when the boy threw himself at him. "I'm sorry, Severus." Harry said. "I was only mad, I don't really hate you."

Severus softly rubbed Harry's back, relieved the boy finally cooled down and was no longer calling him names . "I'm sorry too, Harry."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Um... This is my fav chapter so far. :)  
**

* * *

**Chapter 10  
**

"Is there any way to reverse the spell on my parents?" Lily asked Severus, lifting her gaze up from their chess game to look at him. "It'll feel strange with them not at my wedding..." she moved a pawn forward, calling him into Check.

"Yes... The problem is _finding_ them; who knows where they are after all these years."

"But aren't there spells that can seek things; objects and people?"

Severus eyed the chessboard in thought. He moved his king a space back. "If we had an object that belonged to your Mother or Father; yes. I have a teacup that was your mother's-" he turned toward a shelf behind him and pointed to a jar. "Evidently, your darling son and his friends broke it during a rowdy game of snowball fighting that had gotten out of hand."

"It won't work after it's broken then?"

Severus gravely shook his head."Such objects must be kept in the same condition that it had been when it had belonged to the person you seek to find."

"Maybe... my vault... has something..."

Severus shrugged. "You could-" he sent his queen up to attack her only remaining rook. "-look in it. Checkmate, by the way." He said nonchalantly, with a straight look on his face.

Lily rolled her eyes. She could never win a chess match with Severus as her opponent.

A week later, after searching through her vault, Lily had been able to find an old set of muggle car keys that belonged to her father.

"These should work." Severus commented after inspecting them thoroughly. "Keys are hard to muck up." He stood behind one of his many work tables in his Potions basement. Severus then accio'ed a tracking potion and poured it onto the set of keys. White light swirled around the metal, creating a shining brightness. It then dimmed and an orb hovered above the keys before it slowly floated away and up the stairs leading to the floor above them.

"Stay with Harry, I'll follow the orb."

Lily nodded. She had wanted to go, but Harry needed someone with him. "Good luck..."

It was several days before she had heard anything from Severus. His owl arrived one night, interrupting Harry and Lily's game of Mario. Harry quickly forgot about the game and jumped into his mother's lap when he had heard Temperard (Severus' prized owl) swoop in and drop the letter into Lily's lap.

_"Still looking, but I have high hopes. The orb is remaining solid, which is a very good sign. I love you, Lily Flower. Give Harry a hug for me. I miss you both.'_

Lily and Harry hugged tightly, missing the man before Harry announced that he was going to write Severus a reply. "I've got to tell him that I passed World 2 all by myself!"

Another three days went by and Lily was sure he'd end up losing track of the orb, knowing he couldn't have slept at all during this time (the spell didn't stop for him to sleep). After nearly a week of being gone though, she heard him whisper her name in the wee hours of the night.

Lily leaped out of bed, and rushed to the tall man standing at her bedroom door. She hugged him. "Did you find them?" She asked eagerly.

"Yes." He kissed her cheek. "And the spell has been successfully reversed." He said happily, tugging her out of her room by the hand and quickly taking her down to the living room where both her parents stood, a suitcase by each of their feet.

Lily got her red hair from her father. Neither of her parents had her green eyes though. That was something she had inherited from her grandfather. Her mother (Violet Evans) had wavy brown hair, and was a little shorter than Lily. Lily's father (Henry Evans) was a tall man, who kept his red hair short.

"Lily!" They each gasped out and the three met together, sobbing with happiness.

"Mama! Papa!" Lily cried. "I am _so_ happy to see you again!"

"I've invited them to stay during the coarse of the wedding. They can meet Harry this way." Severus said at a distance, explaining their luggage.

"It's so strange, it feels like just yesterday that you were announcing your engagement to James." Henry said.

"But I am so happy that you and Severus are friends again, and even getting _married_!" Violet squealed. Violet had always been nice to Severus. When she had found out that he had called Lily that horrible name, Lily had to stop the woman from marching over to the Snape's and giving the boy a good earful. She had been so upset, and secretly had once hoped the two of them _would_ have gotten married sometime in their future.

"Now... let me see my grandbaby." Violet said, pushing herself through her husband and daughter.

"Just be quiet about it, Mum, Harry's sleeping."

"Dear, let's just wait until the morning." Henry suggested, picking up their suitcases.

"Nonsense. For years, I've dreamed of having grandchildren, and, today, I learned that I have two. I have some catching up to do." As she passed Severus, she pointed a finger at him. "You best give me a granddaughter, Severus."

Severus broke out into a series of coughing. Children hadn't even came up as a topic between him and Lily yet. And he hadn't given it much thought himself. Before Harry, he had always assumed that he would have a childless life, having no desire in following his father's footsteps.

* _/_ *

At the wedding rehearsal, the invited guests were arriving one by one. Harry, Neville, and Draco had been chasing each other around with toy wands before Draco halted suddenly.

"Look, Neville, " he pointed at Dudley who was looking around with a frightened look on his face, huddling near his mother. "You're not the fat kid anymore." Draco giggled.

"Whoa... he is pretty big." Neville said catching sight of the bigger boy.

"Be nice to him." Harry said cautiously. "He can be really mean, and he'll sit on you. Then you can't breathe."

Draco eyes grew and he gulped. "He'd probably break a bone."

Neville then went off to play with a passing Luna Lovegood, Draco followed, simply to make kissing noises at them.

Petunia crossed the room after seeing Harry. Dudley followed closely behind her. "Here, Harry." She said gently and handed him a wrapped gift box. "Dudley and I would like to apologize for the way we've acted toward you." She said sincerely.

Harry felt a hand touch his shoulder and looked up to see Severus curling his lips at Petunia. She chuckled nervously, and Harry took the gift box, slightly shocked to receive anything at all from her. "Thanks, Aunt Petunia." Harry said politely.

Petunia quickly returned back to Lily and their parents, Dudley clutching a handful of her dress, glancing back every so often at Severus.

"I think you scare my cousin." Harry noted to Severus, picking at the gift box's wrapping.

"Good." Severus smirked. "Might do him a bit of good to be scared."

"Uncle Vernon hit him." Harry reminded him in a whisper. "Just like he did me..."

The hand on Harry's shoulder squeezed him gently. "You're both safe from that man now."

Harry tilted his head, looking at his aunt. "Maybe someone will marry Aunt Petunia too. And she might get a nice husband, and Dudley can get a new good dad too; just like I've got."

Severus rolled his eyes. "You're too much like your mother, Harry."

The next day, everyone was in a frenzy, Lily was double and triple checking all the preparations, in fear one little thing would go wrong.

Severus was conducting Piddles and his family of elves, ensuring the Prince Manor was in order.

"Make sure all the bathrooms are clean and have fresh toiletries." He said for the fifth time that day. "Don't forget about the wine."

"Of course Master Prince." Piddles was patient with the man, overly thankful to finally have Severus use him as he was intended for. The elf was extremely excited that his Master had decided to use the Prince Manor for the wedding. It had been over thirty years since anything grand had occurred inside it.

"Thank you all." Severus gratefully looked down at Piddles, Twitchy, and their two born free children, Pudds and Itches. "Whatever you want, you've got it."

All of them squealed in happiness and they took off to do what Severus had requested, sharing ideas on what they should ask for as payment.

"They are cute." Harry commented, coming up to Severus who was absorbed in his thoughts on what to check next.

"If just a bit annoying." Severus grumbled to the boy.

"I want one of them someday."

"You don't need one." Severus began walking to the huge kitchen to ensure everything was running smoothly there.

"Not for a slave, Severus!" Harry said indignantly. "They would make the perfect friends. They are always happy. And they make yummy raisin bread."

"That recipe has been in the Prince family since raisin bread was first created. My mother made it for me when I was a child." Harry noticed Severus' eyes moist up.

"What happened to your mum, Severus?"

Severus paused his walking for just a moment, tilting his head, he then entered the kitchen. "I'll tell you when you're older."

Harry frowned. He hated when people said things like that. He took it as a way to brush him off.

Severus then began doing lots of boring things, like tasting foods and stirring bubbling pots, so Harry went off to find something to entertain himself. He had nothing to do since there were going to be no kids coming for several hours, but he had been watching everyone make sure every detail to his Mother and Severus' wedding was perfect. It semi interested him and he couldn't wait until they were really married. In the past four months, Harry had been so happy to have his Mum with him, something he had wish for everyday since he could remember. He had wished for his Dad too, but he couldn't be too greedy, and Severus was a good dad, so Harry wouldn't complain. Severus had also saved him, and he was the best man Harry had ever known. He was perfect for his Mum.

Harry was really happy that his Mum loved Severus. They could now all be together, happy forever. Just like in the fairytale books that Mrs. Longbottom reads to him, Draco, and Neville.

"Hello, Harry." Henry greeted warmly, he had several bags of decorations in his arms.

"Need help, Grandpa?"

"Yes, come! Come help me, thank you!" Harry relieved him of two bags.

"Where do these go?"

"The ballroom. Do you remember where that is?" He asked the boy with a confused look. "Because I forgot." He admitted sheepishly. "I've never been in a building so huge!"

"Um..." Harry thought for a second, before gesturing his grandpa to follow. "We go out these doors." He pointed ahead of them, and they walked through the doors."And then look for a purple door with a grey door handle. Two turns to the... _l_ _eft_ \- I think..." Harry paused, frowning. _What was the next step...?_ He looked around and spotted the painting of Severus' many greats grandfather. "The vampire!" Harry exclaimed, racing up to it.

"Vampire?" Henry sounded a bit edgy at the mentioning.

"See? Alucard." Harry set the bags down, and stood on his tiptoes to tap the portrait's name. "Alucard Bram Prince."

"He does look like a vampire." Henry said after thoroughly look at the man. His skin was so pale that it looked white. He had black piercing eyes, and he wore a fashionable set of black robes, not too unlike of what Severus wore. A bat also sat atop of his shoulder.

"He was a vampire when he was alive. Severus said so." Harry said, pulling the red door next to the painting open. "This was a favourite room."

"The ballroom?"

"Yep. Alucard loved to dance. He was..." Harry scrunched up his face, trying to remember the story clearly. "A master at seducing the ladies. He impressed the girls with his dancing skills. Severus told me that Alucard had a magical power that made all the girls enchanted after just one dance with him."

Henry followed Harry to a long table to deposit the bags. "And then what happened?" he asked his grandson with interest.

Harry laughed. "He sucked their blood, Grandpa! He was a vampire after all!"

* / *

"It's not too many daisies, is it?" Lily whispered to Severus worriedly. She sat next to him in front of the five other tables in the ballroom of the Prince Manor; a tiny party, considering the size of the room. Lily was glancing around nervously. Her bottom lip tucked between her teeth.

"Not at all, Lily." Severus assured her. "It's just perfect." He reached up to touch the daisy crown that rested on the top of her head.

Harry came rushing up to them, stopping at the opposite side of the table, poking the cake with his finger, and taking a decorative daisy made of frosting off it.

"I _just_ told you not to do that!" Severus scolded.

"But it's good." Harry argued, licking his sticky finger.

"No one wants your _filthy_ finger touching their food!"

"Harry, grab a piece that has already been cut." Lily interjected softly.

"You do realize it is only the frosting he's after, right?" Severus told Lily, watching Harry skip off with a big piece of cake.

Lily smiled and scraped the frosting off her own piece of cake. "It's the only reason why _I_ eat it."

Severus shook his head, but he was thoroughly amused by her comment. "I should have just bought a bucket of frosting." He jokingly grumbled.

"Oh, a wedding tower of frosting!" Lily's eyes lit up childishly. "I like that idea!"

"Can we dance yet, Uncle Severus?" Draco asked as he and Lucius approached the table.

"After we just ate cake?" Lily asked. "I don't think that's very wise."

"I took a Stomach Settler." Draco said proudly. "Didn't I, Father?"

"You did." Lucius simply said and addressed Severus, "The kids are excited to get out on the dance floor, but traditionally, the bride and groom are the first to dance."

Severus grunted. "We could forget about tradition for once in our lifetime."

"You're a terrific dancer, Severus." Lucius said with a smirk before glancing toward Lily.

Lily grinned, noting the man's sarcasm. "You can't dance?" She asked Severus.

"I have two left feet when it comes to ballroom dancing." He grumbled.

"Come _on_ , Uncle Severus. Even Father would like to dance."

"He just wants to show off his talent." Severus crossed his arms.

Lucius chuckled. "You know me so well, Severus."

Lily stood up, making sure her daisy crown was secured to her head before snatching Severus' arm. "Come, Sev love, let's dance."

"Oh, Lily... please..." Severus groaned.

"It'll be fun!" Lily pulled at him, but he remained seated. "For me?" She asked sweetly.

Severus sighed and stood up. "Laugh at me, and I'll hex you." He warned Lucius darkly whose eyes were shining with amusement.

Lily led the reluctant Severus to the center of the room. "Ev-Everyone is wat-watching us, L-Lily." He whispered.

Lily placed Severus' hands where they should be and kissed his cheek tenderly. "Just ignore them, and look at me. Pretend it is only you and I in the room."

Severus nodded and took a deep breath.

"Ready?" Lily asked him when he appeared to had relaxed some.

"Yes."

Lily motioned for Remus to start the record player. Severus' eyes widened when he heard the first three notes. "This-"

"Is our song." She said. "Dance now, my love." And he obeyed, his eyes watering, listening to the song she had Remus play.

_"There was love all around..."_ he whispered into her ear, as he swayed her to the rhythm of the song. _"But I never heard it singing. No, I never heard it at all."_

_"Till there was you..."_ Lily finished, a smile of complete happiness frozen to her face.

"I love you, my Lily Flower." Severus murmured against her lips.

* * *

**A/N: Who's crying?**

**Credit goes to The Beatles for the song lyrics.**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thanks for reading. I am surprised I didn't get a lot of hate from the last chapter. I did get a couple, though, heh. I was expecting it...  
**

**!Warnings!**

**Honeymoon Chapter... So um yeah, nothing elicit or anything, but you can paint a picture.**

**Also, I am a _crazy_ writer to put character deaths and abuse in a chapter with a honeymoon, but I've done it. _Don't worry! Lily isn't going to get hurt or anything!_ Read. You'll see. **

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"Here's to a long life of happiness." Henry shook Severus' hand when the reception was through.

"Thank you, sir."

"Don't hurt her." Henry said under his breath. "You may be a wizard, but muggles have their ways."

Severus smiled. "I'd die before that'd ever happen."

Henry nodded. "Your a man of your word, Severus. I believe you."

Violet came up and put and arm around Henry. "Are you done threatening the man, can we go now? I am sure they can't wait until we leave." She winked at Severus who uncomfortably shifted his eyes.

"We're good." Henry said to his wife. "Harry! Dudley! Time to go, boys!" Mr. and Mrs. Evans were going to take their grandsons for the next few days to spend time with them. The boys appeared to have gotten along okay, but they had also been avoided each other.

Harry came racing up with Dudley behind him. "Where's Mum? I want to say bye."

Severus pointed up the hall where Petunia and Lily were saying their goodbyes. Harry hugged Severus. "How long before your honeymoon is over?"

"Four days." Severus tapped the boy's back. "You'll hardly notice. Grandma and Grandpa have all sorts of fun lined up for you."

"Like the fun fair!" Violet said.

"Oh, the fun fair!" Dudley squealed in excitement. "I want candy floss. Can I have candy floss?!"

"If you be a good little boy." Henry told him.

"I will! I promise!"

The mothers came up then, noticing the gathering.

"Are you leaving?" Lily asked her parents.

"Yep." Henry looked at his watch. "We've got to check in at the hotel at eight."  
There were many hugs after that between the whole group before Piddles and Twitchy came up to take the muggles and the children to their destinations.

Then Severus and Lily were alone in Prince Manor.

Severus took Lily out to the orchard where he showed her the lemon and apple trees that he collected the fruit from every harvest. "The orchard is charmed here to grow all year around." He explained. "My Great Grandmother, Winifred, invented the spell. While other legendary families have similar spells, the Prince one has lasted several decades, having only ever needed to be refreshed once."

"You come from a line of crafty wizards and witches." Lily commented.

"Some dark, and some not so. Most of the Princes were potion prodigies. Like myself." He plucked an apple from the tree and it immediately ripened at his touch. "Taste." Severus held the apple to her lips and she took a bite.

"So this is where you get all your apples." She said, licking her lips at the juicy flavour.

"Never from the grocer." He nodded.

"Maybe I can make a cider with them."

"I would love that."

They walked hand in hand, while Severus showed her the garden of herbs and other potion ingredients that grew in soil. "I have the elves to thank for this. Without them, the garden would have died long ago."

"You don't come here often?"

"No..."

Lily squeezed his hand. "Why not?"

"I watched my mother die right there." He pointed to a row of roses. Black ones.

"Oh..." They walked in silence for a while even though Lily was itching to ask how Eileen had died, but felt Severus would explain if he had wanted, so she didn't say anything. She had asked him once before, but he had said that he wasn't interested in talking about it at the time.

Severus then stopped abruptly and faced her. "I'll tell you, Lily, but not tonight, okay? Tonight is supposed to be a happy one. For the both of us." He lifted the hand that he was holding up to his lips and placed a delicate kiss atop it.

Lily smiled faintly. "Okay." She quietly agreed, kissing his own hand.

As darkness hit, green and purple lights magically lit up their path and they slowly made their way back to the building.

"Even the house elves are gone." Severus informed her, picking Lily up into his arms and carrying her to the bedroom that he had chose especially for them.

"They've surely prepared everything though." Lily noted, eyeing the bottle of sparkling wine and small bowl of chocolates. She could faintly smell their sweet fragrance.

"All for you, my Lily Flower." He set her onto the bed and swept over to the table pouring them each a glass of the drink. "It has a bit of a... spunk to it." He told her with a smirk, handing her the glass.

"You're such a bad boy, Sev." She took a drink and closed her eyes as the smooth, sweet raspberry flavour filled her mouth. She felt something solid touch her lips. Severus was holding a piece of chocolate to her mouth. She opened her mouth, her eyes locked onto his and the chocolate was set onto her tongue. Severus' fingers grazed her teeth as he removed them. Lily let the chocolate melt in her mouth. "Mmm." She said, savouring the flavour. He had chosen her favourite rich chocolate. An expensive one that a group of Swiss witches crafted. "Those can make a girl sick if she has too many."

"We shall stick with only one piece then." Severus told her dryly.

Lily stood up and set her wine glass onto the night table near her. Severus finished his own and placed his empty glass next to hers. She tilted her head up, signaling him to kiss her, and so he cupped her face and set his lips onto hers, tasting the fine chocolate that still lingered in her mouth. With a soft moan, Lily clutched onto his robes as if she were about to fall off the edge of a cliff and was holding on for her dear life. She deepened the kiss, tasting his mouth with her tongue.

Before they realized, they were on the bed, eagerly removing each others clothes, catching their breath as they did it, but hungrily returning to the exploration of their mouths when it were possible.

Then when Severus posed over her, Lily gasped out in a sudden panic. "Go slow! I've... never..." she looked away nervously, chewing a bit of her bottom lip.

Severus kissed her neck tenderly. "I will." he whispered against her bare skin.

"Have you ever-?"

He lifted his head, pausing his lustful nipping to look up at her. "A couple times." He admitted. "It was not out of love though. Not like with you."

"Okay..." she said shakily. "I'd prefer one of us knows what we're doing anyway."

"It'll hurt, darling." He warned her gently. "But only for a little while, and then you should really like it."

Lily nodded knowingly. "I'm ready." She said bravely.

Severus felt her walls clench tightly against him. And her hands grasped his shoulders, finger nails painfully digging into him. He paused, allowing her to get used to him. Her eyes were shut tightly, and she was huffing in pain, a tear slid from one of her eyes.

"Are you alright, love?" He asked worriedly.

"Yes." She whispered, she then loosened her hold.

"Tell me when you're ready for me to start again." He murmured against her ear, licking the damp trail that the tear had made when it had slid its way down from her face.

Lily panted and took a deep breath. "Okay...I'm ready." She said with determination. "Try again."

He patiently worked her through the task until finally she was able to join in, and by the time they were through, she was smiling, kissing his chest, quickly making him want to go for another round.

"Can we do that again?" Lily asked, almost as if she had read his mind.

Severus grinned. "Most definitely."

By the time the last day of their Honeymoon was up, neither Severus nor Lily could move much. They had done it so many times, that their entire bodies of muscles severely ached from overuse.

"Maybe next time we should think about stretching out before such a workout." Lily's logical comment had made Severus laugh.

He sat up with a groan. "Come, Love, a hot shower will do us good."

"Together?" She gasped.

Wincing in pain, Severus pinned Lily to the bed, kissing her forehead. "Why not?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. "We've already seen practically every inch of each others bodies anyway."

Lily hummed in thought. "It could be fun..." she said giving in.

"Very fun." He purred against her throat, sucking a bit of it into his mouth.

"Oh, don't do that!" Lily shuddered in arousal. "I can barely even move, Sev!" She giggled.

"The pain is worth it." Severus said before encasing her mouth with his.

Severus had been right, the shower did loosen up some of their muscles, but they was still sore, so they sat in a tub not much smaller than the one in the Prefects bathroom at Hogwarts, submerged in hot water to soak their bodies. Severus massaged Lily's body with a muscle relaxer and when he was through, she did the same to him.

"Are these burn marks?" She whispered in horror, tracing her fingers along a roundish wrinkled scar.

"They are." He answered simply.

Lily circled her arms around his stomach and kissed his shoulder, shutting back a layer of tears.

"Don't cry, Lily Flower." He told her after hearing her quietly sniff. "That part of my life is history."

"Who could do such a thing though?"

"He was a sick man."

"Where is he now?"

"Dead."

"Alcohol poisoning?" She asked quietly.

Severus took a while to answer this. He slowly got out of the tub and shook a towel through his hair to dry it. "He was murdered."

Lily's eyes widened. "By w-who?"

Severus let the towel drop to the floor and looked at her seriously. "I am not sure I want to tell you that."

"Why not? You didn't do it, so why would it matter to me?"

"It does matter, Lily." He walked over to the sink and picked up his wand, summoning up a set of clothing. He sighed and rest his hands on the edge of the sink, leaning into it. "Do you really want to know?"

Lily tilted her head uneasily. "Well... only if-if you want to tell me..."

"There's reason why I am friends with Lucius Malfoy."

"It wasn't a... Death Eater thing?"

Severus dressed himself with his wand and turned to avoid from looking at her. "No... the man... he... saved my life, Lily."

_"Stop!" Eileen shouted. "You're going to kill him, damn it!" She grabbed at Tobias' shoulder, but the man easily had a hundred pounds on her and his thick arm swung, smacking the woman in the ribs, breaking them. Eileen gasped out in pain, falling down to the ground._

_Severus mother's wails echoed his ears. Anger rushed through his body, and he clenched his teeth, standing up, even though he was barely able to do it. The man had attacked him from behind after he had caught Severus begging his mother to run away with him in fear that Tobias would end up beating her to death one day in the near future._

_Eileen cried out, shielding her face from the belt Tobias was whopping her with. "You know better than to interrupt me!" He snarled._

_Severus bent down to pick up his fallen wand._

_"Sevvy! No!" his mother pleaded._

_Tobias swung around to see his son pointing his wand at him, it slightly shook as he thought about what spells he could cast onto the bastard muggle. He wanted to kill him, but he couldn't do it three years ago, and he'd not be able to do it now, especially since Mum's pleas were whittling into his thoughts. He didn't want to disappoint his mother._

_"Please, Severus!"_

_And he knew just the spell to cast then. He closed his eyes. "Help...please!"_

_Tobias laughed. "What a pretty little deer you got there! Too bad your spell is as useless as you are! It jumped out the window!" Tobias then backed him against the wall and snatched Severus' throat into his hand._

_"Toby!" Eileen gasped, crawling to Tobias and grabbing at his ankles. "Don't hurt him!"_

_"Shut it, witch!" Tobias released Severus to stomp at her head, knocking her out cold._

_"No!" Severus lunged for his mother, but Tobias stopped him by slamming a fist into his gut. He kicked the wand out of Severus' reach and all Severus felt after that was several hits across the back with Tobias' belt._

_"I always hated you!" Tobias shouted. "I've always questioned your mother's faithfulness with me. You don't act like me, don't look like me. Well, I'll take care of you right now, bastard boy! I'll end my misery by ending yours!"_

_"Avada Kadavra." Lucius Malfoy's cold drawing voice was the last thing Severus heard before he blacked out._

_When Severus woke, he found himself outside, fragrances of many different herbs invaded his nose. He sat up and looked around. Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy and a man he hardly knew as his Grandfather all had their wands held above Eileen, muttering spells under their breath._

_Severus jumped up and ran to her, instantly forgetting about his pain. "Mum..." He whispered, brushing her black hair from her face, and tucking the strands behind her ears._

_Eileen opened her eyes to look at him. She breathed very slowly. "My-my strong b-baby." She whispered with difficulty. She lifted up a hand to his cheek and smiled. "I'm so-so proud of y-you." Her smile then faded into a frown. "I-m so-sorry, Sevvy." Her hand dropped down to the side of her body before her breathing stilled._

_"Mum?" Severus shook her body, but she didn't respond. "Mother...?" He took her hand into his. "No, please...! Mum! Stay with me...!" He whimpered, placing the hand to his face. "Is she-?" He looked between Narcissa, Lucius, and his Grandfather unable to finish his question._

_Narcissa lowered her wand, tears filled her eyes. "She's... gone, Severus... I'm so sorry. We tried all we could..."_

Lily took her weeping husband into her arms, hugging him tightly. "My love, I'm so sorry." She set her head against his chest.

One of his hands touched the mane of her hair and he found it soothing to run his fingers through it. "She could have done more. Much more, but I still loved her. She was my mother." He buried his face into her lemon and apple scented hair, his tears falling onto the top of her head.

They stayed like that for several minutes until Severus summoned himself up a tissue to clear his nose. "I apologize, Lily." He said once he was finished. "I did not mean to ruin our blissful day."

Lily shook her head. "I'm not sorry. Not at all. It was something that needed to be done, and she would have enjoyed the wedding."

Severus nodded. "I'm sure she did, where ever she is. Especially knowing that you are my wife."

"Eileen always did rave about me." Lily smiled.

Severus kissed Lily's forehead. "She thought you were absolutely wonderful; just as I do."

Lily wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to kiss him. "Merlin, I love you so much, Severus." She whispered.

Severus ran his hands up her bare back making her squirm at his tickling fingers. He smirked. "I may had dressed too soon."

"I can feel it."

"No more bloody cold showers for this man." He growled playfully before picking her up and setting her back into the tub. He hastily removed his clothing and joined Lily to taste every bit of her one last time before they had to pack for home.


	12. Chapter 12

"Well?" Violet asked Lily and Severus when they stepped into her and Henry's new house that they had just bought to be closer to their family. They had not gave any thought in staying in South America (the place Severus had found them at). "Do you like it?"

Severus refrained from wrinkling his nose. The walls were orange with brown carpeting. The furniture, yellow with brown patterns. But it seemed in good shape. On the outside, the two story home was white with brown trimming with a decent sized porch; room for a small cookout. The lawn was perfectly manicured with hedges lining up the walk path from the sidewalk to the front stoop. Inside, was a cozy living room and a larger kitchen, two large bedrooms and a bathroom. Upstairs, where the colour scheme wasn't any better, was two more bedrooms and another bathroom.

"You just can't escape the 70s, can you?" Severus commented dryly.

Violet giggled. "Nope. The boys are out back with Henry."

Severus nodded. They'd only come for Harry, but he wasn't going to say that out loud.

The backyard was massive and fenced in with all sorts of toys and play equipment that would be in any seven year old boy's fantasy world. The Evans' took no limits when it came to spoiling their grandsons.

Dudley and Harry were shouting, standing up in a tree house. The tips of two bright green guns were sticking out of a glassless window.

"Grandpa!" Harry shouted.

"Come out!" Dudley added. "We've got you now!"

Little did the boys know, Henry was sneaking up behind them, hugging against the truck of the tree. With a loud roar, he made both boys jump and scream. The three started firing their guns then; florescent coloured foam balls flew everywhere. When a ball went flying toward Harry, he knocked it out of the way with his gun, and, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of his mother standing by the house with Severus and his grandmother.

"Mummy!" He shrieked excitedly and jumped out of the treehouse, causing Lily to scream out in horror. Severus' skin about jumped off of him from the sound, but before either of them could do anything, Harry's hands clasped around a hanging rope and he sunk down safely to the ground.

"Oh my Lord!" Lily gasped shakily, running to Harry who was doing to same to her. "You about scared me to death!"

Severus couldn't help matching the feeling. Lily's deafening scream had a lot to do with it though. He clenched his hands into fists at his sides to hide their shaking.

All Harry did was giggle. He hugged her tightly. "I missed you, Mum!"

"Oh, he does that all the time." Henry said as if it were no big deal. "He's a little monkey, aren't ya?"

Harry made a sound, mimicking a monkey's chatter, amusing his grandfather.

Henry's attention went to Dudley then, who peeked out the window of the treehouse. "Ah, Dudley, come down now. Game's over."

"I-I c-cant..."

"Just grab the rope like your cousin did."

"No!"

"Dud is afraid of heights." Harry informed his mother. "I told him not to go up there, but he thought that since I could do it, he could." The boy rolled his eyes.

Lily kissed her son on the forehead. "Did you have fun?"

"Yep! Dudley ate too much, then he got sick, and puked all over himself!" Harry laughed.

"There is nothing funny about someone being sick." Lily told her son sternly.

"But you should have seen his face! It was all green and yellow! I have never seen anything like it before! Besides, it serves him, Grandma told him to eat slower. He didn't of course. He thinks he knows everything." He then pulled from his mother, almost knowing that she was about to scold him and ran to Severus who had been silently observing the two.

"How many times did you kiss my Mum?" He asked with a grin.

Severus about choked. "That's none of your business!" He hissed, glancing around, hoping no one had heard the question. Violet had dissappeared inside, and Lily was shifting her attention from Harry and Severus to her father and Dudley.

"A lot then." Harry nodded. "Good!" He said approvingly and hugged the man. "I bet I had more fun than you though."

Severus doubted this, but said nothing, hiding a smirk that was trying very hard to paste to his lips.

"I got Dudley to eat the BBJBs." He whispered to Severus, glancing at his mother who was currently watching him.

"And just what are BBJBs?" Severus whispered back, indulging in Harry's fun.

"Berlie Bott's Jelly Beans of course!"

"Which flavour did he end up with?"

Harry giggled. "Blood."

Severus refrained from shuddering. That flavoured jelly bean was one of the worst, mainly because Severus always wondered if they used real human blood to make them or not. There was certainly a myth about that which had been floating around since even before his first year of attending Hogwarts.

"You know what he said about it?" Harry asked, his eyes growing wide.

"I do not, obviously." Severus answered dryly. "Since I was not there."

"He said it didn't taste too bad." Harry sent Dudley a look, who was now two knots down a second rope to the one Harry had used. Henry was still trying to coax the boy out of the tree. Lily had joined them at this point. "I think Dudley could be a vampire." Harry said distantly.

Severus snorted in derision. "He's not a vampire, Harry. His skin would be burning right now; from the daylight."

Harry shrugged. "Maybe he will be one later then." His attention was then nabbed by the plateful of biscuits that his grandmother was placing onto the lawn table. "Oh, Severus! Come on!" The boy grabbed his hand, his green eyes shining hungrily. "I asked Grandma to make your favourite. Vanilla maple."

Severus mouth began to water. Violet Evans' vanilla maple biscuits... He could not pass that up for a second.

* _/_ *

"How was Harry?" Lily asked her mother when she was able to get a private word with the woman.

Violet mopped up the kitchen counter with a sponge. "He had a little trouble getting to sleep." She frowned. "Poor boy kept thinking you would never come back. Severus' suggested worked. Strange Magic put the boy to sleep quickly."

"That used to be my favourite song."

"And you drove me mad with it!" Violet laughed. "Anyway, he's Grandpa's little man. Harry and Henry are about inseparable."

"That's good. I always felt guilty that I wasn't the boy that Dad had always wanted." Lily sat herself down at the table.

"Oh, you made up for it. Tune was the princess, and you, the tomboy. Your father loves both his daughters. And so do I."

"Even if I was the witch." Lily chuckled uneasily. "I could never be normal, could I?"

Her mother shook her head. "Nope! I remember your sister screeching because you wouldn't let Henry squash the spiders in the closets."

"And use harmful mousetraps." Lily added. "Petunia thought varmints deserved an agonizing death."

"I preferred the live traps too."

"Lily," Severus stood in the kitchen doorway, his voice barely heard as he felt a bit guilty for interrupting. "We told Remus we'd have him over for dinner, and have yet to decide what to have."

He was ready to go home. Lily could tell. Even though her Mum and Dad were friendly, Muggle homes were not something he wished to stay in for very long, and Henry had a habit of showing off his bowling trophies. Severus wasn't interested in many sports, especially Muggle ones.

"Yes, we ought to get ourselves in gear." Lily agreed, standing up and walking to her mother to hug.

"Glad you had a good time." Violet kissed her cheek. "I hope to expect the announcement of my granddaughter soon!" She said once Lily had turned. Both Lily and Severus exchanged looks of embarrassment.

"Mother, that is unlikely to happen, since I used contraception potions."

"You _what_!?"

Ten minutes later, Severus collapsed onto the couch in their living room, setting a throw pillow over his face. He groaned, Violet's screeching about 'killing her granddaughter' echoed throughout his head. "Why? _Why_ did you have to tell her that?"

"Did you really kill my sister?" Harry asked with huge, green, wide eyes.

Lily brushed his messy hair back. "No, your grandmother was simply overreacting." Lily reassured.

" _Simply_?" Severus shoved the pillow from his head, sending it toppling to the floor. "I am quite sure the _entire_ world knew her opinion on the potions that you used to prevent a pregnancy! If that was a _simple_ overreaction, I would hate to bloody see what she would do if you had an abortion!"

"Which I would _never_ do by the way." Lily told him firmly.

"I didn't say that you would." He said flatly, put off by her tone.

"Good, because I wouldn't."

Severus sighed and closed his eyes. "I thought she was going to beat me to death with that spatula."

"She wouldn't do that." Lily said. "Her chances for a granddaughter would plummet drastically."

"Why don't you want to have a baby?" Harry spoke up. While Severus and Lily had been talking, he had started a game of Mario. The obnoxious sound of Mario jumping could faintly be heard as the boy goofed off, paying more attention to the adults than the game.

"We _just_ got married, Harry." Severus leaned off the sofa, snatching the controller from Harry to play instead.

"So?" Harry asked, sitting next to Severus who had returned to the sofa.

"It's something we've decided." Lily informed. "We don't want to rush into things."

"If you had a little brother or sister, they'd take our time from you." Severus said, reasonably, finishing the level, and handing the controller back to Harry. "You wouldn't want that, would you?"

Harry thought about it for a few moments before he started playing the game. "I guess not." He shrugged. "But a little brother would be fun to have."

"What about a sister?" Lily pressed curiously.

Harry wrinkled his face. "Not a sister. A _brother_."

"A little girl would be nice." Lily sat back, thinking about it. "She could wear the cutest little dresses with teddy bears on them."

Severus rolled his eyes. "Like the ones _you_ hated when you were little?"

"No. Cuter ones, of course."

"So the ones your sister was in? _Merlin..._ You're going to turn my child into _Petunia_!" He muttered, abruptly standing up. " _If_ I am cursed and I have a daughter, black is all that she'll be allowed to wear!"

"Severus!" Lily wailed, following him to the kitchen. "You can't put a little girl in _black_!"

"So you want her to look like the Stomach Settler potion?" He grumbled, pointing his wand to a tea kettle, not in the mood to wait until the water heated the muggle way.

Lily giggled. "Pepto Bismal."

"Pepto what?"

"Nothing." She waved her hand dismissively.

"I _don't_ want a sister!" Harry called back to them. "Don't make me have one!"

"You aren't having neither!" Severus yelled back, before shipping from his tea cup, sighing heavily in comfort. His headache was melting away. "Much better." He murmured, sitting down at the table.

"Well, even if we did up having a baby, you can't choose what you get."

"Lily Flower, this topic is a complete waste of time. My potions are the best brewed around- no woman has ever reported a failure. If you take them as I directed, we will never have to worry about having a boy or a girl."

"But _if_ we did, a girl wouldn't be so bad, would it?" She asked gently, taking his cup from him for a sip of her own.

Severus put his head into his hands. "We're not going to be like the Weasleys and pop out a bunch of babies until we get a girl, are we?"

Lily snorted. " _Pop_?! And what do you mean by ' _we_ '?! It'll be _me_ doing all the _popping_ , mister!"

Severus' hands fell dramatically. "Have you _ever_ been around a pregnant woman? "

"No, but neither have you?"

Severus nodded. "I have. Narcissa" he shuddered, conjuring up a potion. _Better safe than sorry._ He downed the liquid that would slow his 'swimmers'.

Lily crossed her arms, giving him a glare.

He stood, taking the woman into his arms for a hug. He kissed the nape of her neck. "Let's just enjoy being married before throwing _another_ child into the mix. Harry deserves your attention right now. He's missed six years of his mother."

Lily nodded, finding his words reasonable. "But you know my mother won't ignore the subject."

Severus tilted his head. "Well, we could always hook Petunia up with someone, then some of the pressure could be lifted from us."

"Oh, Severus!" Lily gasped, slightly pushing him away. "That's awful!" But as she thought about it more, a grin crept to her face. "Actually, that's quite brilliant really."


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Been really busy. Trying to help some fellow readers with their stories. While also not submitting to a gnawing plot bunny. Curse those things to hell and back!**

* * *

"What about your friend, Remus?" Lily asked. "Robert is single, isn't he?"

Remus took his time in cutting up the semi rare pork chop that Severus had made for him. He avoided eye contact with both Lily and Severus, and cleared his throat to ready himself to answer her. With a brief glance at Harry, he uneasily said, "That would be a fabulous idea."

"What's the problem then?"

Severus cracked a smirk. "I believe Robert would be interested in Remus much before Petunia, Lily."

Lily gasped out in surprise. " _Really?_!" She squeaked.

"Does that mean he's gay?" Harry's question was nonchalant, more busy with picking out the papaya from his fruit salad than the conversation.

"How would you know anything about that?" Lily was more shocked at her son than with Severus' previous statement.

"Stop picking at your food, Harry," Severus scolded.

Harry frowned in frustration. He really did not like the disgusting fruit. "Neville told me that his uncle is gay. That means that he loves men and not women."

"No one is supposed to know," Remus confirmed Lily's question.

Severus raised an eyebrow. "It is certainly not hard to tell."

"And _you're_ the expert?" Lily shot out at him.

"Lily, his voice is three notches higher than it used to be, and it wasn't from a spell or anything."

"And you can't deny how frilly his hair is," Remus added.

Lily shrugged. "I haven't paid much attention, I guess."

"Mr. Lopez always smells like strawberries."

"He likes to smell pretty," Lily told her son.

"Like Neville's uncle?"

"Exactly so." Severus' eyes were glittering with amusement, but he successfully hid a smile. "Finish your dinner," he ordered the boy.

"I don't like the pink pineapple." Harry made a face. "Ick!"

"It's papaya, Harry," Lily corrected. "And it's good for you. Remus brought it for us to eat, and it would be impolite not to eat."

Remus stirred in his seat, feeling a bit guilty. "Oh, Lily, that's alright if Harry doesn't like it."

"It tastes gross." Harry brutally stabbed it with his fork, as if he were trying to kill its flavour.

"You know the rules, young man," Severus reminded him.

Harry pouted, staring at the fruit, wishing it to disappear. He had been able to do it a year ago with the roasted turnips that Severus had prepared for him. The man's back had been turned, and Severus had actually believed that Harry had eaten them. Of course, the boy hadn't said otherwise.

Severus sighed in disapproval when Harry made no intention in eating the fruit. "You will eat it or you'll go straight to bed with no dessert."

"Severus-"

"There are to be no picky eaters under my house," Severus interrupted Lily firmly.

"What if I'm allergic and it kills me?" The boy asked with a bit of a cheek, he dared not to look up from his plate though. "You would feel bad then."

Severus cleared his throat coldly, warning Harry not to continue with his lip. Lily gave Severus a wary look, but Remus couldn't help chuckling at the boy's craftiness.

"There's only a couple people I know that he would learn such cheek from."

Severus' slit eyes left Harry briefly enough to give his friend a warning of his own, making the man bite back a smirk. Severus had the creepiest of looks.

Harry reluctantly finished his meal in silence, knowing Severus wouldn't put up with his behavior any further.

"Good boy," Severus praised, magically setting a piece of strawberry pie in front of Harry who exclaimed a quick, "Thanks!" before digging in eagerly.

When it was time for bed, and Lily and Severus made sure Harry was ready for his night of sleep, Harry asked if he would ever have to eat papaya again.

"I'll try my best to see to your request, Harry," Severus told him, not all too eager to make full promises to the boy lately. "But you have to be a good boy. Trying new foods is not a terrible thing to do."

Harry snuggled happily under the covers, content with Severus' response. "Okay."

Lily put Harry's favourite sleeping song on the player for him, charming it to repeat until he was asleep. "Thanks, Mum." the boy said sleepily, mesmerized by the music.

"Good night, sweetheart." Lily kissed his forehead, and Harry's eyelids closed. "Love you."

"Love you too, Mum," he whispered and then he yawned. "Love you, Severus."

"I love you, Harry. Sleep well."

The music stopped playing before the couple could even close his bedroom door. They exited the room hand in hand, their fingers laced together.

The next morning, Lily was making breakfast the muggle way (she hadn't quite mastered it the magical way). Severus sat at the table, pretending to read the Daily Prophet as he watched her flip pancakes at the stove. She sent him an ugly look when he nonchalantly turned the bacon with his wand. Severus gave her an innocent smile that quickly spread into a smirk.

" _I'm_ making breakfast!" She told him sternly. " _You_ got to make dinner last night. Besides, you're just teasing me."

"Pancake's burning." He announced blandly, wrinkling his nose to the smell. "Stove's too high."

Lily sighed. "I am not used to cooking with electric! Mum and Dad had gas burners!"

"We'll just put lots of jam on them." Severus said just to make her feel better, migrating the cooked bacon out of the fry pan and onto a plate with a spell. He sent one piece levitating toward him, his mouth was watering from the heavenly aroma. "And practice makes perfect."

Lucius' owl flew into then, gracefully landing on the table. It plucked the bacon right out of Severus' hand, lifting his leg, prompting Severus to remove the delivery.

Lily giggled as Severus grumbled a few curses.

"That was _my_ bacon, you beast!"

The owl retorted with a snap of its beak, then took off, his task finished.

Scowling, Severus read the note;

_While you were gone on you Honeymoon, there was an announcement made at the KettleKorn Country Club. Apparently, there's a junior Quidditch league in the making. The founders have already come up with a name for it, and they going to call it 'Little Beaklings Quiddtich League'. Seven people have signed up as captains to direct a team of their own. Tryouts are to began next week._

_Draco is positively ecstatic over the idea. The lad's sweating his bum off, practicing out in the back as I write this. I thought your boy would also like to sign up. I have included the enlisting sheet and the league's official pamphlet._

_Obviously, there will be a slight issue with convincing your wife to allow Harry to join. From what I hear, if he doesn't join a team, he'll practically be the only athletic boy wizard that will not be a part of this._

_And we can't have that with the famous Harry Potter, can we?_

_Good luck, mate. You'll need it, I am sure._

Severus set the letter down, and rubbed a hand down his face. Lily didn't really feel comfortable with Harry playing Quidditch. She barely allowed the boy on a broom! But if Harry got word of this (and no doubt his friends wouldn't spare him the news), he'd want to sign up immediately. And, if Harry did show up at the league's tryouts, every captain would want him on their team. Not _just_ because of his fame. Harry was a complete natural on a broom. He was an excellent player in just about all positions (he didn't make a great Beater, but that was an overly aggressive position).

It just wouldn't be right if Harry couldn't play Quidditch.

"What's that?" Lily asked curiously as she set down a plate of breakfast at the center of the table.

Severus took a deep breath. "There's a new Quidditch League."

"Oh," she said, sitting down. She called Harry down for breakfast who yelled that he'd be down in a minute. "That's interesting. Is it for the locals?"

"Yes, and it's going to be a league for children," He explained slowly.

Lily nodded, not missing where this was going to lead to. "It's a dangerous sport. Anyone who allows their child to play that is mad."

"It looks safe enough." Severus scanned the details. "It shouldn't be any more dangerous than football. The Bludgers will probably be similar to the Narf balls that Harry plays with at your parents'."

Lily smiled. "It's Nerf, hun, not Narf. Besides that, football is played on solid ground. I remember the games at Hogwarts, and the injuries those kids got from the sport!"

"This is different though. The balls are softer. The players are weaker."

"Severus, I am not going to have Harry play Quidditch right now. There's a reason they don't let the kids play until the second year of Hogwarts."

Severus nodded. "Yes, and it's not because it's dangerous. It's because, in their first year, students are to pay more attention in school and getting adjusted to it." He lifted a finger when she went to interrupt. "I was a professor there once- I _know_."

Lily huffed quite immaturely. "Well, he's my son, and I say no." She sent him a look, daring him to argue.

Severus looked down at his plate, poking the eggs with his fork. It wasn't really fair of her to say that. He had spent the last couple years raising Harry, and still put in an equal amount of parenting as she did. Shouldn't he have an equal say also?

"He'll be the only boy not allowed to play," He told her quietly. "It wouldn't be right."

"Then he'd be the only one safe."

Severus pursed his lips at her stubbornness. Even Potter hadn't been this headstrong. He shoved a fork load of the cold eggs into his mouth and soon slowed his chewing when he thought of something.

_Potter would have let Harry play Quidditch._

Severus swallowed hard, clearing his mouth completely before he said the last thing that he could to persuade Lily's decision. "His father would want him to play."

That had made a satisfactory impact. Lily's eyes lowered to her plate, absorbing his statement. Severus knew that she hadn't had much feelings for James Potter at the time of her time travel, but she couldn't necessarily ignore the past that the two of them had had. Even one that she did not recognize. Harry was the outcome of a love they had shared. Whether she was around for it or not.

She shook her head. "James isn't the one that has to sit there, watching him fall off his broom, breaking his neck!"

"Lily-"

"He's only seven years old!" Lily hissed. " _No._ "

Severus said no more, knowing the finality of her tone when he heard it.

Then _she_ could tell the boy that he couldn't play! Because Severus wasn't going to! He got up from the table, and walked out of the kitchen, careful not to look at her.

Quite frankly, he was annoyed with what she had said, and how she had said it. It was like he had no so say in Harry's life anymore, and that hurt. He couldn't accept himself to take over as Harry's father, but he had been the boy's guardian for a lengthy amount of time. Long enough to grow fond of the kid. Long enough to worry when the boy was hurt or sick. Long enough to have had sat up many nights when Harry wept into his arms from the horrid nightmares of his previous life before living the new one that Severus had opened his life up for.

And long enough to love Harry just as if he _were_ his own blood.

Later that night, when Severus came out of his Potion lab, still upset over the morning's event, Harry approached him, as if he had been waiting for Severus to emerge.

"Can I have Nev and Draco over for a sleepover tomorrow?" He asked eagerly.

Severus stalked passed Harry to the kitchen. "Ask your mother," he muttered, seeking inside the fridge for a something to munch on.

"She won't mind, you know so."

"Lily is in charge of you now, Harry, you need to ask her from now on." Severus pretended not to notice the boy's confused look and magically made himself a sandwich. He took it to the living room so he could stare at the telly, pretending to be engrossed in that.

Severus refrained from sighing when Harry sat next to him. "Why are you mad?" The boy asked worriedly. "Did I do something bad?" His eyes grew wide at the possibility.

Severus wrapped an arm around Harry to make him feel better. "No, you've done nothing wrong. You'd know it if you had."

Harry nodded. "You'll look mean and scary."

"Precisely." He smirked.

"But you _are_ upset."

"It's something you can't help with."

"Why not?"

"Harry, it's just nothing you should worry about," Severus told him firmly. "Now please let me be."

Harry frowned but obeyed, slowly sliding off of the sofa and leaving Severus to his thoughts.

It wasn't until two days later before Harry learned that he was forbidden to sign up for the Little Beaklings Quidditch League, and if they had had neighbors, everyone would have heard the protest he put up.

"But I want to play Quidditch with Draco!" Harry cried, waving the pamphlet, eyes wondering to it. He blissfully watched an animated picture of a cartoon boy whizzing through the air, chasing a flittering Snitch. "Severus will let me though, won't you?"

" _Harry James Potter!_ " His mother screeched unhappily. " _I_ said no!"

"But if Severus says yes, then I can go. Right, Severus?"

Severus sent the boy a cold look. " _Wrong,_ " he snarled, making Harry look down shamefully.

Harry's eyebrows creased with irritation. "Well, why not?!" He demanded at Lily. "Draco gets to go! And Ronald Weasley, who can barely even _dodge_ a Bludger!" he crossed his arms over his chest. "I should get to play! I am not a baby, Mum!"

"You're certainly proving that," Lily said sarcastically, cutting Harry's sandwich in quarters.

Harry shoved the plate away. "And _stop_ doing that!" He shouted, standing up. "I can eat my sandwich whole!"

"Harry," Severus spoke up.

Harry stood in place, huffing from anger, but said nothing. His eyes shifted to Severus, acknowledging him.

"You do not talk to your mother that way, _am I clear_?"

"Yes," His voice answered tinnily, knowing he had made a huge mistake.

"Apologize to her."

Harry sniffed. "Sorry, Mum." He said tearfully.

"Go to your room, Harry," Lily told him, swiping his uneaten meal off the table. "And no playing. Sit on your bed for timeout."

Harry ran for his escape.

"What has gotten _into_ him?" Lily asked shockingly. "My little boy-"

"Does not want to be treated like a little boy," Severus interrupted her.

"I'm only protecting him."

Severus stood up, taking Harry's sandwich. "Well, he's your son to do whatever with." He walked to the doorway, stopped, and turned to her. Lily was giving him a questioning look. "Just don't cry to me when he won't talk to you because you've embarrassed him and forced him into being a mama's boy." He paused as she narrowed her eyes. "You know, men who grow up as a mama's little boys tend to not get married. They disgustingly devote their entire lives to their mothers. Forfeiting any chance of their social life, all because their mother won't let them do things on their own."

"Severus-"

"Don't worry, Lily," he said softly. "I'm only going to give him his sandwich, and make sure he doesn't go hungry." he gripped the plate tightly. "It's something I have been doing for the past couple years, after all. I'm just doing my _job_."

Upstairs, Severus didn't even knock on Harry's door before he entered, finding him sulking on his bed.

"Here." He set Harry's lunch on the bed beside him, and pieced together the sandwich whole.

"Why won't she let me go?" Harry whispered, picking up the sandwich and pulling off the crust. "Why does she treat me like a little baby?"

"She's a mother, it's just what they do. They are supposed to protect you until you are ready to fend for yourself."

"But... it's Quidditch." Harry sighed in frustration. "Quidditch for _kids_." He took a thoughtful bite. "You would have let me go, wouldn't you have?"

"What I would have allowed you to do doesn't matter anymore, Harry. You're mother is here for you now."

"But you're like... a second dad to me, and you've married my Mum. So can't you do something?"

"I've tried talking with her, Harry. She's firm on the decision. At this point, I think you're the only one that is capable of changing her mind."

"She won't listen to me neither," Harry said glumly.

"Do you _really_ want to go?" Severus asked.

Harry rolled his eyes. "It's _Quidditch_ , Severus! Of course!"

Severus stood above Harry, contemplating on what he was about to do. He saw no harm. Harry would end up learning about it eventually. Severus was just going to give him a head start. And in all honest, it would have been something Harry would have known already if he had had a normal life to begin with.

"I'd say it's time to teach you a little something, Harry," Severus said, casting a silencer spell onto the room.

The boy looked up at the man with curiosity. "What's that?"

"People are like musical instruments," he started his lecture. "and once you learn to read the music and play the right notes, beauty is made."


	14. Chapter 14

"How is Harry?" Lily asked when Severus joined her into the kitchen for tea.

"Better," his reply was simple and cold.

Lily frowned at his tone. Obviously he was upset that she had forbidden Harry from trying out for the new Quidditch league. She knew Severus felt like she was coddling her son, but Lily couldn't bare the thought of Harry getting hurt. She loved her son more than anything.

"I'm sorry for what I said," she said softly, staring into her cup of tea. "I'm just... afraid for him."

"And you think _that's_ what upset me?" Lily had a difficult time in keeping from shuddering. He could sound creepy when he was upset.

"Wasn't that it?"

"You don't even know what you're apologizing for," he said slowly, disapprovingly.

"Then I am confused," Lily confessed quietly. She stuck her finger in her tea and swirled it around.

A chair drug across the flooring as Severus pulled it out from underneath the table to sit down in. "We're _supposed_ to be married," he told her bitterly.

"This has nothing to do with our marriage, Severus."

"I beg to differ. When people get married, they share everything. This includes their assets and lives."

"I am not understanding you."

Severus leaned back into his chair and sighed. "It's great that Harry has his mother back, and I don't blame you for wanting to ensure him his safety, but, Lily-" he stopped and looked away. His eyebrows wrinkled. Lily couldn't tell if he was concerned or flustered. Perhaps it was both.

"What, Severus?" She asked gently. "What is bothering you?"

"You're his mother," he whispered, unable to find his voice. His eyes welled up.

Lily stood from her seat and walked to him, setting a hand onto his shoulder. "Tell me, love," she urged him gently, squeezing his shoulder.

"I'm happy that you and Harry have been reunited. It's a true miracle, but," he met her eyes with his, taking her free hand to hold. "I adopted that boy last year, I raised him as if he were my own. We have formed a bond together. I may not be his father, but Harry and I have built something strong. We've been there for each other. I love you, Lily, I really do, but what you said earlier was heartbreaking. You made it sound like I didn't matter at all when it comes to Harry." Tears fell from his reddening eyes. "You made it clear that because I am not his real parent, I truly have no right to express my opinion on what should be decided with him. I disagree wholeheartedly. I changed my life for that boy. I did everything I could to better his life. What you said was completely unfair to both Harry and I." He twitched his lips, squeezing her hand, and looked down at their conjoined hands. "But, I'll do whatever you want me to, because I made that promise to you. So if you think that I shouldn't raise Harry any longer than I'll leave him all to you. I won't be happy about it though, and neither will your son."

Lily's own eyes filled with tears. So that's what had bothered him, when she had taken over completely, not giving him a say whatsoever. She hugged Severus tightly, sobbing softly, unable to say anything at the moment. How could she have overlooked him like that?

"Oh, don't cry, Lily," Severus pleaded gently. "I shouldn't have said anything. I didn't want to upset you..." he tapped her back with his hand.

"I'm sorry, Severus." She whispered into his neck. "I wasn't really thinking about your feelings earlier. It hadn't come to my mind on how you would feel about all this." She dabbed her eyes with a tissue. "How horrid of me to not consider your feelings on this. It must be extremely difficult to be in your position after looking after Harry on your own for so long."

He said nothing, feeling guilty to have made her cry.

"You're right though. We're married and we share everything now, including Harry."

Very slowly, Severus' lips turned upward into a smile. "Is that what you really want, my Lily Flower?" He asked.

She nodded, returning the smile. "I don't want to do this alone and I want you there with me. Besides, you're a terrific dad! Harry just adores you!"

He brought her down into his lap, embracing her into a tight hug. "Thank you," he said happily and kissed her.

* _/_ *

Harry got himself ready for dinner, silently repeating everything Severus had told him. What he had planned to do was easy enough, but his stomach was anxious just the same. He wasn't really hungry, but Severus never allowed him to skip a meal, and Mum wouldn't either.

Harry shut the water off to the faucet once he had heard his mother calling him down for dinner. He looked at himself, making sure his hair was combed as neatly as he could before venturing down to the kitchen.

"Thanks for dinner, Mum," he said in his most childish voice, he avoided Severus' eyes, unwilling to let his mother get any idea that the two had went behind her back to get what he wanted.

"You're very welcome, Harry." She replied, giving her a smile.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you today," Harry added. Which was true, he did feel bad, and he did understand why Mum was so protective. Severus helped him with that.

"I forgive you, sweety." Lily set a plate of food down for him.

Harry swallowed hard, noticing the green beans on the plate, he glanced at Severus who was watching him as he always did when it came to meal times. He gave Harry a slight nod, one that was barely noticeable.

If he wanted to play Quidditch, he'd have to eat these gross things. Slowly, he consumed his dinner in silence as Severus and his Mum talked.

"Would you like dessert, Harry?" Mum asked when he was through.

_'Everyone has a weakness, Harry.' Severus told him. 'What do you think you mother's is?'_

_'Mum's not afraid of anything.' Harry told him proudly._

_'A weakness doesn't always imply to something you fear. For example, some people will do anything for a bar of chocolate. In a way, that could be considered a weakness; An inability to refuse something that you love so much.'_

_'She likes cute things. Remember when she helped the orphaned kitten, and found it a new home?' Harry said after a thought, smiling at Severus' proud look._

_'That she does. And do you remember the look on that unfortunate kitten's face when your mother first laid eyes onto it?'_

_'Kind of sad, yet hopeful.'_

_'Exactly.'_

"Mum, could I trade my dessert to play Quidditch?" Harry asked with all the boyish charm he could gather.

Mum frowned. "I don't want-" she paused when Harry sent her the pitiful look that he had practiced all day in his room. Judging by her response, he may had perfected it.

"Please, Mummy?" He added for good measure. "I promise I'll be really careful. I am best at seeking, which is really the safest position, I bet I would get accepted for Seeker very easily."

Mum sighed. This gave Harry a touch of hope. His heart thudded with anticipation. He saw her bite her lip and look at Severus who didn't do anything but stare back innocently.

Harry gave a silent prayer, hoping Mum would changed her mind.

Mum tilted her head, furrowing her eyebrows and she closed her eyes. " _Alright,_ " she finally said exasperatedly.

Harry cheered ecstatically and jumped up from the table, crashing into her. "Thanks so much, Mum!" He hugged her tightly. "Thank you! Thank you!"

"But _one_ injury and you're out!" She added stiffly.

"Okay!" Harry didn't care what the speculations were after that. He'd do chores for the rest of his life if that was what she wanted.

He was going to play Quidditch!

* _/_ *

The next day, Lily sat in the the living room with her wand held out, practicing a spell that she had read from a book. Lately, she had been thinking about her unfinished education, but now that she was a mother, she couldn't really go to Hogwarts anymore. She'd been studying books to increase her knowledge though, to fill the gap in her education that she currently had.

Eventually, she wanted to make a complete meal using just magic like Severus could do. To do that, she had to cast multiple spells at once, providing enough magic for each spell to last several minutes. This took a lot of energy and concentration.

Concentration that was broken off when Severus entered the room at that moment. While he had made no noise, always having such skill, she could not help but to feel his presence, hovering at the doorway. He did not venture further in, not wishing to disturb her, nonetheless, that didn't really much matter. Lily's animated feather duster fell and the pages of the book that she had been magically flipping instantly stopped. Lily huffed in frustration and sent him a glare, upset of her lost attention on her spell performance.

He sent her a lazy smile. "Keep trying, you'll get it."

Lily snapped her study book closed and sighed. "Only if you're not around to distract me."

"It is not my fault that you find me so attractive," Severus drawled, crossing the room and sitting next to Lily, wrapping an arm around her. He kissed her forehead. "You're getting better though."

"I feel like such an amateur," she grumbled.

"Oh, Lily." He tightened his hold on her. "You are the best witch I know."

"I can't even apparate!" Lily put her wand on the coffee table and settled herself against him, resting her head against his beating chest.

"Only because you haven't been taught how," Severus told her softly. He rubbed her shoulder soothingly.

"Well, I'm tired of having you take me everywhere I go."

Severus ran his hand through her long hair. "It's not something you should learn on your own, so don't even think it," he said firmly.

Lily lifted her head to look up at him. "Would you teach me then?"

"I-" he paused, giving it a thought. "It's quite dangerous..."

Lily kissed his cheek. "Please?" She asked. "You know how to do it, I don't have any doubts that you can instruct me better than anyone."

He sighed and Lily knew he wouldn't say no then, but she wanted to hear him actually agree before she got her hopes up. "For me, Sev?"

Severus groaned. "Fine..." He finally gave in.

"Great!" Lily hugged him. "If there's anything I can-" she was cut off as he pressed his lips to hers, encasing her mouth into his. An excitement tingled through her.

"Just keep loving me." He requested, after breaking their kiss so he could catch his breath. He grazed his lips across her cheek, moving to her neck and nipping at it.

Her eyes closed, aroused by his playful mouth. "I always will." She told him and let out a grasp as he cupped one of her breasts. "If you keep doing that we'll have to go upstairs!" She warned him in a whisper.

Severus chuckled wickedly, and fished out his wand. A moment later he had apparated them into their room and cast several spells for privacy. Harry was in the room across the hall, studying the homework that Mrs Longbottom had given him.

"Exposio." Severus drawled huskily, removing Lily's clothes, leaving her standing with nothing on.

"Severus!" She shrieked in surprise. "It's in the middle of the day!"

"What of it?" He raised his eyebrows, challenging her to come up with a better reason not to continue. Severus cupped her face in his hands, kissing her ever so softly. A kiss she could not ignore.

Lily moaned against his mouth, desperately wanting more, to which he gave her, flicking his tongue against her teeth. He picked her up without unlocking their lips and carried her to the bed, where he finally separated their mouths.

He smirked. "It's daylight." His eyes glanced to the window before shifting back to her. "Dare you to stop me," he said, unbuttoning a button to this robes.

"Not a chance!" Lily said eagerly, standing up onto her knees to assist in removing his clothes. Lily doubted if a spell could have removed his robes faster than the pair of them did physically.

They hugged their naked bodies together, absorbing each others heat and scent before Severus climbed in bed beside Lily, pulling her with him. He brushed her hair from her shoulder to delicately kiss it before sending his hands to wander her body.

Lily sighed in pure bliss, thinking how lucky she was to have him there for her.

She was lucky to have Harry. Lucky that Severus was around for Harry wehn he needed him, and lucky to have such a man love her.

_Yes, she was truly a lucky woman._

"Thank you, Sev." She whispered against his chest, pausing her kissing. "You are a real treasure to have."


	15. Chapter 15

"Are you guys ready?" Lily called up to Harry and Severus who hovered in position in their new Quidditch Pitch that had just been installed. They were going to play in it for the first time, and even Lily was excited.

"Let it loose, Lil'," Severus called down.

Lily giggled. Severus had always looked out of place up in the air on a broom. She didn't know if it was because of his pale skin from the years of staying out of the sun, or if it was his lengthy limbs. It may have been his black robes. The man refused to wear anything with colour. Something about him that hadn't changed since the day she met him.

"Come on, Mum!" Harry shouted impatiently, pulling Lily from her thoughts. "We're ready!"

One of Severus' brows was cocked up in question at her staring at him. Lily could tell that he was doing all he could not to make a not so child friendly comment in front of Harry's tender ears.

"Sorry!" She flashed her husband a knowing grin, feeling a heat slightly rise to her cheeks.

She opened Harry's junior Quidditch set, instantly sending the lively balls into action. The Snitch took off out of sight, quicker than the speed of light, and the Bludger dashed off to find victims to smash. Lily hastily detained both it and the Quaffle. They wouldn't be used today as Harry and Severus were just racing to find the Snitch so Harry could practice for the upcoming tryouts.

Severus didn't move from his spot. He patiently waited in place, using more senses than one to locate the magical object. Harry, on the other hand, zipped and zagged around the Pitch in excitement. He loved to fly and he took any opportunity he got to do it.

"You aren't going to get anything by doing that!" Severus warned Harry.

"I do it all the time just fine!" Harry swung his broom around to face him. "And you aren't going to find the Snitch either by watching me!"

Lily smiled, watching Severus shake his head at the boy's taunting, and return back to his search.

"This is so much easier with sunshine!" he shouted down to her so she could hear him.

"At least it's not raining," Lily told him cheerily, looking up at the grey sky.

After a while, Severus' eyes squinted and he slightly tilted his head toward their son who had momentarily paused his flying, hovering by one of the goals, looking aimlessly for the Snitch.

Lily knew by how still Severus was that he had seen the Snitch, but he didn't want to alert Harry about it. Severus didn't speak a word during this time. The only thing that moved was his eyes, darting from one place to the next, following the path of the Snitch. Finally, when Harry dashed off to make another lap around the Pitch, Severus took off after the Snitch.

"No!" Harry shouted when he had noticed Severus' sudden movement. He didn't know exactly where the Snitch was, but he guided his broom to match Severus' pace. Through the glare of his glasses, he saw the flicker of the Snitch's wings, finally gaining sight of it. Harry scrunched up his face in determination, unwilling to let his focus detour from it.

Severus, who was much faster and more experienced on a broom, flew in front of Harry, cutting off the boy's vision from the target, making him lose sight of it. The man then reached high above his head. The quick movement jerked his broom, flipping him backwards and twirling him around three times before he gained control of his broom again.

"Are you okay, Severus?" Harry asked, hovering nearby.

"Yes," he answered a bit weakly, sick to his stomach. This was one of the many reasons that he had never liked playing Quidditch. "But you aren't going to find the Snitch if you're always worrying about the other players on the Pitch."

Harry frowned and searched the Pitch with his eyes. "I've lost it." He sighed in disappointment. "It's gone."

Severus smirked triumphantly and held out his hand, revealing his catch. "It was a good try, Harry," he said, handing the Snitch off to the gaping boy.

"How did you do it?!"

"You cared more about me than you did finding the Snitch." Severus gave Harry a smile. "You're a good boy, but if you're aiming to win, you can't play like a Hufflepuff."

"A Hufflepuff?"

"They usually always lose the Hogwarts Quidditch Cup. They tend to fret over hurt players."

"I don't play to win," the boy said almost sternly. "I play because I like to. It's fun. Besides, Severus, peoples' health is more important than winning a game."

Severus smiled. "How right you are, Harry. It usually takes a man years to understand that."

Harry sat up proudly on his broom, grinning. "Mrs. Malfoy always says I'm growing up too fast."

"Indeed," Severus agreed. "You'll be a man before you even know it."

Later that day, Lily was shuffling through her large wardrobe of clothes, looking for something comfortable to wear.

"Are you really going to see that man?" Severus asked her.

"I told Remus that I would," she said simply, avoiding his piercing eyes.

"But why?" He sounded hurt, like she had yelled at him, or had hit him where it hurt. "After all that he did...?"

Lily frowned at his tone, keeping her back to him. "Before I was sent to this time, I hardly liked any of them. This is a new beginning though. Remus thinks it will be good for him."

Severus scoffed unhappily. "Well, just so you know, I disagree with this wholeheartedly!"

Lily turned to face him then and wished that she hadn't. Severus looked the same way that he had the day she had severed their friendship. She swallowed down a building lump in her throat, and felt the threatening sting of tears approaching.

"Sev," she whispered. "I am not doing this as an attempt to hurt you in anyway. He was once a part of my life, a friend of... James' and even mine-" She shuddered at the thought. "I'm not expecting you to understand, but if I can somehow help him, I will."

Severus' eyes narrowed in anger. "You don't have to try and fix the world, Lily!" He hissed, clenching his fists at his side. "It's surely not going to help! Not _him_!"

Lily crossed her arms over her chest. "So, it's okay to forgive you, but no one else?" She asked him softly.

Severus pressed his lips together in annoyance. He said nothing to that.

"You've forgiven Remus-"

"Remus saved my life," he muttered, interrupting her attempt into making him reason.

Lily sighed exasperatedly. "You know very well that I'm not doing this to upset you," she said, keeping her gentle tone. "This is just something that I have to do, Sev."

Severus' jaw clenched and he closed his eyes, giving her a stiff nod. "Fine," was all he said. He turned and stalked out of the room, shutting the door a bit harsher than need to be.

Tears streaked down Lily's face, feeling awful for Severus. He had had such a rough life, and she was not making it any easier on him. He probably saw her as a traitor. At first, she didn't want to do this because of Severus, but Remus had practically begged her, insisting that she could help, and so she finally agreed to it.

Allegedly, she had changed James Potter. She knew that she had changed Severus. And now, she was also changing her sister's attitude on the Wizard World. Maybe she did have such a power to bring out the best in people.

_That's what Remus believed anyway._

Wiping away the tears, Lily finally picked a calming blue colour to wear and went downstairs to Floo off to Remus'.

"Is this okay?" She asked Remus upon her entry, gesturing to her set of robes.

"It's perfect," he assured her. "Anything would have been fine, so long as it wasn't striking and bold, like red or orange."

Lily nodded and inhaled a deep breath. "Are you sure that I can help him at all?"

Remus smiled. "Relax, Lily. All you have to do is talk with him. I think it'll put his mind at ease."

Lily shook her hands, releasing some tension. "I've greatly upset Severus," she announced with a frown.

"I'm sorry," Remus patted her shoulder. "He has trouble forgetting and forgiving. I'd like to say that it's a trait of Slytherins, but Gryffindors don't tend to forgive easily either." He gave her a tiny smile before taking her arm to apparate her to the Apparation Point closest to Saint Mungo's.

The hospital was busy as always, never a dull moment there. Remus spoke to the receptionist before he and Lily traveled up to the Janus Thickey Ward. There, they waited for a Healer to allow their entry.

"Good to see you, Mr. Lupin!" Healer Miriam Strout said upon their arrival. "Hello, Mrs. Pot-" she let out an embarrassed giggle. "Oops... Sorry, Mrs. _Snape_."

Lily smiled amusingly. "That's alright, ma'am."

"You have come to see Mr. Black?" The healer asked, smiling warmly at the couple.

Remus nodded. "Yes, please, if you would unlock the door."

"Certainly!" Healer Strout waved her wand, and the door clicked.

"Thanks," Lily said, following the Healer into the ward with Remus behind her.

"You know where his room is," Healer Strout addressed Remus. "Let me know when you're through so I can let you back out."

"Will do," Remus exchanged smiles with the Healer before leading Lily to Sirius' room. "He's not here from spell damage, but neither is a lot of the patients here. Some of them have been here since they were children."

Lily frowned at that. "That's sad..."

Remus nodded. "Especially the ones that have to be bound tightly, else they'll cause themselves physical harm." He stopped at the door, a hand set at the doorknob. "Sirius isn't like he used to be," Remus whispered. "You may be troubled by what you see. Let me go in first." He then equipped himself with his wand, giving her a very serious look.

Lily nodded, her pulse picking up. Remus had told her what had happened Halloween Night in 1981, and she had felt bad for Sirius, even if he had been a jerk in school. He had been sent to Saint Mungo's after his Trial when Voldemort had died, when all the Aurors had checked all the Azkaban prisoners for Dark Marks, finding that Sirius hadn't had one.

Peter Pettigrew, who was soon known to be the actual Secret Keeper, had been found in the Weasley home, living as one their child's pet rats. Both Arthur and Molly Weasley were stirred up over this, realizing they are had put their children in danger of a Death Eater.

Lily stood behind the cracked door, watching Remus step out of her view, the only thing she saw now was a bit of a chair.

"Padfoot," Remus spoke softly, carefully. "I bought someone here to see you."

"GET ME OUT OF HERE!" Sirius hollered, making Lily jump at the sudden noise. She then heard grunts, panting, and gasping, as if there was a fight going on. There was a loud crash before Lily swung the door open, her wand out to cast a spell if need to be.

A table had been tipped over. A tray of food, along with utensils, was scattered across the floor.

Remus stood several feet away from the tall, extremely thin man, replacing his wand back into a sleeve of his robes, breathing heavily.

Sirius had black bags under his eyes, as if he hadn't sleep for months. He was pressed against the wall in a bind, unsuccessfully struggling against it, glaring darkly at Remus. His mouth moved, uttering words that Lily couldn't understand.

"It's alright, he can't break free." Remus lifted his arm, motioning her to join his side.

"Why's he so angry?" Lily whispered, inching her way to Remus, eying Sirius warily.

"He hates that he is being kept here like a caged animal."

"K-Kill him." Sirius muttered hoarsely to Remus.

"Look who I brought to see you, Paddy." Remus spoke calmly to Sirius like he was a dangerous animal.

Sirius eyes didn't move from Remus'. He roared angrily and tried to yank his body free. "Let m-me out o-of he-re!" He spat at Remus. "Bloo-dy tr-traitor!" He then stopped suddenly, letting his head droop weakly, panting. A single sob escaped his throat. "Prongs... I f-failed y-ou. Y-You and L-Lily." He started wailing uncontrollably. "And Har-Harry, oh, Harry! I'll kill Peter! I w-will!"

Lily looked at Remus with wide eyes. "He doesn't mean that?"

"I think he does..." Remus answered uncomfortably. "He is not sane enough to be free."

"K-Kill." Sirius whispered eerily, his head was still hanging, his strength to hold it up was lost. "Tr-Traitor!"

"Say something to him." Remus coaxed Lily. "Maybe it'll trigger something from him besides hate."

"He thinks I'm dead... It could only cause more trauma."

"It might help seeing your face."

Lily gave Remus a doubtful look, but one glance at Sirius in his poor shape, and she couldn't help but wonder if he was right.

"Si-Sirius...?" Lily called out his name. "It's me, Lily."

Sirius' head jerked up, his eyes wide in astonishment. "L-Lily?!" He gasped. His eyes searched the room. "Prongs...?" He asked with hopeful, teary eyes. "Harry?"

"Harry is safe," Lily stated, avoiding from telling him about James. "He lives with me." She smiled at him.

"But you died! I saw you! And Ja-" he choked on a sob.

"I'm back now," she told him. "I'm safe and Harry is too."

Sirius shook his head. "Voldemort-"

"He's dead, Padfoot. Remember? Voldemort is dead." Remus said. "And most of his followers have been captured. The rest are being hunted down."

"Wormtail." Sirius growled darkly.

"Peter is in Azkaban too."

"Kill him. Kill the tr-traitor." Sirius' eyes closed and he went limp.

Lily gasped, hurrying up to him. "What happened?"

"It happens a lot," Remus explained. "He won't eat anything, and Healer Strout says he stays up all night, rocking in the chair-" he pointed to a rocking chair, "-staring at the wall, muttering incoherent things, as if he's been stupefied. "In the day, he's more alert and outraged, often trying to break out of the ward." Remus released Sirius from the binding spell and carried him to the bed. "This is the only way he gets any sort of rest; passing out from exhaustion."

"The poor man." Lily said sadly, helping Remus cover him with a blanket.

"Will you come back again?" He asked her. "Maybe he'll talk more to you. He feels awfully guilty about yours and James' deaths. He still blames himself."

Lily crossed her arms in thought. "I suppose," she decided slowly, sighing heavily.

_Severus wasn't going to like this one bit..._


	16. Chapter 16

**AN: Been busy with several things! Thanks for being patient!**

* * *

Lily stood in the living room, waiting for her husband to respond to her news. She bit her lip, watching him stare at the telly. Severus took a drink of his butterbeer, eyes frozen to the screen. The glare of the image lit up his black eyes.

Finally he grunted, and placed the empty bottle on the end table, next to the lamp. "So, you agree with the bullying that he did to me?" He asked in his quiet voice. He did not look her way.

"Of course not, Severus!" Lily huffed. "You should have seen him though. God, he was a mess! Remus insists that I can help him. And with the way that Black had looked at me-" Lily paused, shrugging helplessly. "Maybe he's right. Maybe I _can_ help Black out of his trauma."

Severus shook his head in disbelief. "You're just not happy unless you can fix someone!"

"You knew I wanted to be a Healer," she pointed out to him. "This is what healers do, Sev, they put away their personal opinions and help the patient!"

"You're not a Healer, though."

"By nature I am!" She snapped and turned on her heel, sprinting into the kitchen. "And you best accept it!" Lily shouted to him. She started to prepare dinner, crashing around anything that she touched.

It was _her_ life, and if she wanted to help people, who was he to stop her?! She didn't stop _him_ from making extremely dangerous potions in their house when one little accident could burst them all up into flames.

Not like Severus really ever had an accident in the first place. But still, she support his choices.

* _/_ *

"You gonna eat that?"

"No," Harry glumly told his cousin who snatched Harry's sandwich right off his paper plate.

"Why are you sad?" Dudley asked through a mouthful of food.

Harry leaned his back up against the tree that their treehouse was built around. "My Mum and Severus are fighting." He picked at the flooring beneath him, pulling up a lose piece of wood from the rough sawn board.

"They are?" Dudley was surprised at this, and had even paused in his food consuming to drop his mouth open a bit. It was a gruesome sight, a bit of his mashed up lunch was still lingering in his mouth.

"Yes, and really bad too! They aren't even talking to each other!" Harry then lowered his voice so their grandparents wouldn't hear him, "They haven't even kissed on the lips- in many days! And Mum kicked Severus out of _his_ bedroom!"

"Wow..." Dudley finished off his sandwich then. "Do you think they are going to get a divorce like my Mum and Dad did?"

Harry frowned at the thought. Tears filled his eyes. "I hope not!" He cried out. "They love each other! And they belong together!"

"You should make them hug each other. That's what Grandma makes us do when we fight," Dudley suggested. "It works; it makes us not want to fight again for the rest of the day!"

The boys nodded together. It embarrassed them a lot when they were forced to hug each other.

After Severus had picked Harry up that afternoon, apparating him home, the boy dashed up to his room quickly. He was uncomfortable by the mood that his parents had been putting off lately. Severus and Mum only spoke to him, and Harry often had to speak between them to get what he needed relayed to the other.

When he was practicing his moves for the upcoming tryouts for Quidditch, Severus wasn't really trying to play anymore. Harry won every time- not from just being extremely good at the sport. This helped Harry none. He needed a good opponent to train with.

Harry sat on his bed, nearly in tears. He wiped his nose with the sleeve of his shirt.

Why were they fighting? Was it because he wanted to play Quidditch? Was Mum changing her mind in letting him play? If she was, Harry had no idea of it. She seemed happy with Harry when he caught the Snitch each time.

Harry was confused. It wasn't right for Mum and Severus to be fighting! He was afraid of what Dudley said. Afraid that they would get divorced. They had JUST gotten married! They can't divorce! Not when he _just_ got a _real_ family. With both a Mum and Dad. He thought a little brother would be nice, but maybe later, because Severus said they were going to spend time with were spending time with him, but it wasn't like Harry had thought it would be. And Harry was very sad that Mum and Severus didn't like each other right now.

* _/_ *

"You're awfully quiet, Harry," Lily noted as Harry ate his ice cream after dinner. "Are you nervous about the tryouts?"

Her son just shrugged, looking down at his hardly finished treat. He swirled his spoon around, making Lily wrinkle her forehead. She stood up, waving her wand to run a diagnose. Nothing appeared to be wrong with him. So, why wasn't he eating his ice cream?

"Harry, what's wrong?" She asked to see if she could fish out an answer.

"I'm just sad..."

"Sad?" Lily frowned. _Why would Harry be sad?_

Harry nodded.

"About what, baby?" She smoothed his hair down, only to have it spring back up on her.

Harry's ice cream was pretty much all soup now. He scooped it up and let it run off from the spoon and back into the bowl. He said nothing, lifting up a shoulder into a shrug.

"If you tell me, maybe I can make you happy again," Lily said gently.

"Do you hate Severus now?" Harry asked. "Are you going to get divorced? Am I never going to be allowed to see him again?" By the last question, the boy's voice had croaked and then he burst into tears.

"Oh, Harry!" Lily knelt down to her knees, wrapping her arms around him. He instantly dove into them, hiding his face into her chest. "You needn't worry about those things, baby," she assured him in a whisper. "I know it's scary when people fight, especially your parents. Mine fought too, and they're still together."

"Grandpa and Grandma fight?" Harry asked, astonished, his crying had momentarily ceased.

"Yes, and they've been married for over thirty years, Harry."

"Is he alright?" Severus' voice asked behind them. He stood at the door that led down to his Potions' cellar, looking at Harry.

"He's fine," Lily answered, giving her boy a tight hug. "He's afraid we're going to get divorced."

"Of course we're not!" Severus huffed like it was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard of.

"Then you should say you're sorry and hug; right now," Harry said, pulling from his mother's hold. "I don't want you fighting no more."

"Harry... it's not that simple." Lily brushed a bit of his hair from his forehead.

"It is for me and Dudley."

"Well, you're children," Severus spoke up. "The most you argue over is who took the last ruddy biscuit."

Lily stopped herself from giggling at his statement.

Harry crossed his arms and grunted. "Well, I want you to kiss again! And say nice things to each other!" Suddenly, he found his bowl of ice cream fascinating. He frowned. "I want to hear you laugh again, Mum, and I want to hear Severus make you laugh... Just like it used to be."

Severus and Lily exchanged looks before Severus said, "Alright, Harry, we're sorry we've upset you. Your mother and I need to talk right now, could you give us a few minutes?"

Harry nodded sorrowfully, and slid off his chair, walking out of the kitchen in silence.

"Obviously, we can't have him acting like that," Severus told Lily.

"Poor boy," Lily said sympatheticcally. "He was probably stressing more than we were."

"He's not the only one that's been missing your laugh," his voice was quiet, almost as if he was afraid to admit it.

"Isn't what we've been fighting over just a bit silly?" Lily asked exasperatedly. "I mean, you and I are married, by a _love_ bond- nothing should sever us apart."

She watched him set his jaw, taking a swallow. "I guess we have been a bit immature about this all," he agreed. "I'd rather not fight. I can think of much better things to do with you." He looked away, sighing. "Besides, your choice is already made, clearly, you're not going to change it."

Lily shook her head firmly. "I'm not."

"Bloody Gryffindor," Severus grumbled jokingly. He looked at her apologetically, silently asking her to forgive him.

Lily smiled, amused by his pathetic look. "I suppose we ought to hug now."

They walked up to each other, stopping in the middle and hugged, both sighing in the relief to feel each others touch again, heavy weights lifting from their chests. Then they kissed, sending an instant fire of affection throughout every inch of their bodies. Before the feeling could increase, they broke off the kiss, knowing that if they continued much longer, the simple kiss would turn into something more.

Severus stared at her, his eyes filled with passion, "You're a good witch, Lily, and I'll love you no matter what."

She took his hand and brought up to her cheek. "I'll love you forever too." She pecked his palm with her lips. "Let's go tell Harry the good news."

Severus nodded, and they walked hand in hand, calling out Harry's name. The boy was up in his room, mindlessly playing with his Snitch.

"We're done fighting, Harry," Severus informed him.

Harry smiled widely, catching the fluttering Snitch. "Really?! Did you hug?"

Lily and Severus exchanged knowing grins. "We did," Lily told him.

"Can we play Seeker then?" Harry asked, grabbing his broom. "I still have some time to practice."

Lily looked out the window and frowned. "Sweety, it's too dark to play tonight."

"Then you can light up the sky, Mum! Your Charm spells are very powerful! They'd last for hours!"

"He's right, Lil'," Severus pointed out.

And, so, Lily, lost by the power of being outnumbered, followed her husband and son out into their large yard to play Seeker, which Harry now named 'Seeker In The Night'.


	17. Chapter 17

**AN: Blah! Got distracted in writing a Dramione! I apologize, lol. Anyway, here's the next chapter!  
**

**Enjoy, and thanks for reading!**

* * *

Severus sat down next to Lily. His eyes darted around uncomfortably. It had been a while since he had been placed into the middle of a crowd; he hated them. He had been a loner since practically the day he was born. People didn't really scare him or anything, he just didn't fit well with them. But he had no choice, or rather, he didn't want to miss watching Harry's tryout.

"Where's he?" Lily asked, her head moving back and forth in an effort to see through hundreds of moving bodies.

Severus shrugged a reply. He didn't see Harry either.

"And where's Remus? He said he'd be here!"

"I have no idea." He set a hand on Lily's leg to ease her anxiousness. "Settle down. Harry will most definitely make a team." He refrained from groaning when he saw his sister-in-law and her son making their way toward them.

"Tuney!" Lily called, waving them over and patting the seat next to her.

"Lily, this is so exciting!" Petunia squealed as she took a seat, eyeing a wizard in disgust after he had spat at the ground, riddling his mouth of a mouthful of vile chewing tobacco. She shuddered.

"I can't see Harry!" Dudley whined. He stood up for a better look.

"Sit down, Dudders," Petunia scolded gently. "We'll see him shortly."

There were several kids trying out; around one hundred or so. They all stood out in the field, each holding their brooms. They squirmed with nervousness and excitement.

Severus spotted Harry then, standing next to Draco, both boys appeared to be chattering nonstop, and pointing out things. Harry insisted on wearing his Chudley Cannons mock uniform.

Lily went crazy when Severus pointed him out to her. "Oh, my Lord! Look how adorable he is standing there!"

Severus rolled his eyes. Harry would cringe if he knew she was saying this in public.

"Good morning, Severus," Lucius drawled behind him as he and Narcissa joined the group.

"Hello," Severus nodded, and the group exchanged greetings. "Did Draco decide the position he wanted?" Severus asked Lucius when they were through.

"He did; Seeker."

"So our boys will be rivalries..." Lily mused with a frown.

"Unfortunately, so." Narcissa concluded.

"A friendly competition is not a terrible thing," Severus assured Lily.

"I do not doubt that the teams they join will be at the very top of the league," Lucius smirked.

The announcer began speaking then and explained how the tryouts were going to work. There were going to be two divisions; each child would tryout for two of their chosen positions, the first half would be their top choice.

Lily didn't like this one bit. "What if he doesn't make Seeker?" She was now biting her nails.

"Stop worrying, he'll get it." Severus pulled her hand from her mouth and squeezed it gently. Lily barely noticed the gesture, her eyes were completely focused on Harry.

The kids had been instructed to disperse, so Harry and Draco (along with the rest of the those trying out for a Seeker spot) walked in a single line to a designated location on the pitch. Each child went through their turn and were paired up with another to compete with. Chasers were paired with Keepers, Beaters with Beaters, and Seekers with Seekers.

Seekers were the last to go, and Draco was the first of the two boys to get to tryout. He was going up against a girl and was looking smug by his luck. He didn't think a girl could out best him.

Draco was fast on a broom. He had been riding one since he first learned to walk though, so it was only natural that he had such skill. The girl spotted the Snitch first, but she had no chance against him. She had went after it too soon, and, since Draco had the most expensive broom on the market, plus the skill to control it well, he snatched the Snitch with the girl a broom stick behind him. He held his catch up proudly, smiling wide.

The audience clapped and cheered in congratulations. Severus, Lily, Narcissa, and Lucius the loudest; obviously.

"Draco's really good!" Dudley exclaimed. "I hope I can fly as good as him one day."

"It helps to be _limber_ ," Lucius commented, earning himself a glare from his wife. He simply shifted his eyes from her, hiding a smirk.

"Mr. Malfoy is right," Petunia told her son. "If you want to be as good as him, you'll have to very work hard."

Dudley nodded, eagerly, watching the next pair of Seekers begin their match.

Harry's turn came up a while later. There were a lot of kids who wanted to be a Seeker. He got paired with a younger boy who could barely pass off as being six.

"Oh, that little boy's much too young to play!" Lily shrieked when she seen him fly up into position. He was pretty little, Severus would agree with that.

Harry and the boy shook hands and the Snitch was released. They leisurely flew around the Pitch, looking for the slightest movement of the object, but several minutes had passed and neither of the two had seen it yet.

"I see it," Severus whispered to Lily.

"Where?!" Lily's eyes darted around in alert.

"It's under Harry, in the grass."

"I don't see it," Lily said disappointingly.

"There it is!" Dudley exclaimed, pointing at it.

"Oh, I hope Harry notices-" the Snitch took flight then, as if sensing that it had been seen.

"Uh, oh!" Dudley groaned, as the younger boy caught sight of it, and raced towards it.

Harry dove for the Snitch when he seen the boy shoot up higher at an incredibly fast speed. He wasn't quick enough though. In the next moment, the game was over; Harry had lost.

It was time for lunch, and families and friends separated off to eat. Harry was downcast when their group joined him. Draco was bragging away about his performance. "I think I had the fastest time out of everyone!"

"I doubt I'll even make a team..." Harry mumbled sadly.

"Sure you will, Harry," Severus said encouragingly.

"Just because you didn't win that time, doesn't make you a bad player." Lily looked about to comfort her son with a hug. Severus snatched Lily's arm and pulled her against him.

"What?" She demanded, eyes frozen on her little boy.

He pressed his lips to her ear, and took a moment to relish over her wonderful scent. "We're in public," he whispered. "You can't hug him here."

She tilted her head, giggling, "That tickles!"

"Did you two need a few moments of... _privacy_?" Lucius asked with a smirk.

"No!" Lily hissed, pushing Severus away. Her face blushed up, making the adults laugh. "Oh, God!" She shrieked, hiding her face in her hands. That only made them laugh harder.

"What is so funny?" Draco asked. "That they let a girl go up against _me_?" He laughed cruelly.

"Girls can play just as well as boys, Mister," Lily scolded, narrowing her eyes.

Draco scoffed in doubt. "They shouldn't even be _allowed_ to play. Quidditch is much too dangerous."

Narcissa cleared her throat in warning. "Come, Draco, let's have our lunch now. You've said enough."

"Yes, Mother," Draco acknowledged and followed his mother to the stands with the food.

Severus chuckled. "Lucius, you have never told him about Narcissa?"

Lucius turned his head, watching his wife and son disappear into the crowd. "It was her choice."

"Why wouldn't she want to tell him?" Lily asked, crossing her arms with a huff.

"Bellatrix wasn't too kind to her about it, and she was often embarrassed with her skill."

"That is why she quit in sixth year?" Severus inquired.

Lucius nodded. "But Bellatrix also told their mother and father. Narci got a letter the next day, forbidding her of it. She had been able to keep it a secret for a year before they had found out."

"What, Pureblood boys can play, but not Pureblood girls?" Lily sneered.

The muscle in Lucius' jaw twitched. "I have never forbidden my wife from anything. She makes her own choices." He slightly bowed in departure and made a quick exit.

Lily snorted in disgust. "Yet, he doesn't correct his son much on that subject, does he?"

"It's all about status with the Malfoy's, Lil', you know that." Severus put an arm around her, and called out to Harry who was talking to a red haired girl.

"That was Ron Weasley's sister," Harry informed after he had come running back to them. "She says I was a great player even if I lost!" the boy was smiling. "She's nice. Her Mum and Dad won't let her play though. They say she's too young. But they let Ron play and she's almost the same age as him-" at this, he sent a glare to a boy that looked his own age. Ron spat his tongue out at Harry who returned the gesture.

"I take it that you don't like him?" Lily asked, glancing back at the Weasley family.

"He's not very nice really. And complains a _lot_. He also told Ginny that she couldn't play because she was just a girl. I can tell Ginny was trying not to cry." Harry looked over at the girl in pity. "Did you see that Cho girl?" He asked, suddenly changing the subject. "She's a _really_ good Chaser!"

"Cho Young?" Severus tried remembering the girl. "Yes, she wasn't half bad."

"Girls can do anything," Lily said firmly. "Better than boys, more often then not."

"Yes, Lily." Severus kissed her cheek. "Girls are much better than boys."

"Now you're just brown nosing," she accused playfully.

Severus grinned. "Is it working?"

"You know it!"

* _/_ *

Harry did better as the Keeper in the second half of the tryouts. He chose that after deciding that it was the next safest potion in the game. This time, he and Draco were paired against each other, because Draco's second choice was Chaser.

They eyed each other in concentration. Harry waited for Draco to make his move, and Draco analyzed the best angle. In this exercise, five Quaffles hovered within Draco's reach. He was allowed to go as fast or as slow as he wanted, so long as the Quaffles were not thrown at the exact same time. Draco finally grinned, allowing Harry to believe he had chosen his strategy. Harry took a deep breath knowing how skilled Draco was when it came to Quidditch. The two had been playing for the past couple of years together as a pass time. Harry also could tell Draco's facial expression by now though, his 'poker' face was no longer a secret to Harry.

Draco threw the first Quaffle up high, and once Harry drove after it, Draco threw his second. Harry blocked the first, but Draco made a point with the second toss, making the spectators clap loudly.

"Nice try, Harry!" Draco boasted.

"I won't let you win!"

"You have no chance!" Draco giggled.

If only Harry and him had been paired up during the Seeker tryouts, Harry would have won then.

_I MUST beat him!_ Harry thought. _Or I won't get on any team!_

Draco tried faking him out, but Harry noticed that the angle in the first throw was off, so he didn't go after it. No point was given. Draco shook his fist in frustration. "Drat!"

The next throw was spot on, aiming for the goal in the middle. Harry leaned into his broom with determination and kicked the Quaffle away when he got within reach. It sailed toward Draco who had to duck his head to keep it from getting smacked.

"Watch it there!" Draco snarled. "Nearly took my head off!"

"I didn't do that on purpose!" Harry said in defense.

"Trying to injure me, you are! Cheat!" Draco then threw the last Quaffle at the goal furthest away from Harry, and the crowd cheered after Draco scored. "Too bad you're not as talented as me!"

"But, I still won, Draco!" Harry shot back cheerfully and flew off to meet his parents.

* _/_ *

Once the second half of the tryouts were over, the team directors were announced then. One by one, seven names were announced. Two directors were even witches, much to Lily's delight. She cheered in excitement when each of them came flying up on their brooms after their names had been called.

The big surprise was Remus though. He hadn't showed up to sit with them because he was 'judging' the kids who were trying out. He was a director himself. His friends were shocked over this.

"How long have you been keeping this a secret?!" Lily asked, hugging him tightly.

Remus laughed. "Months! It was so hard not to say anything! I did it for Padfoot though, I know he would have _loved_ to do something like this."

"Uncle Remus, are you _really_ going to be a director?!" Harry was wide eyed.

"Sure am!" Remus fuzzed up Harry's hair affectionately.

"Have you already gotten your team picked out?" Severus asked.

"According to the rules, we're allowed to choose three players for each position. After that, it's up to the children to decide which team they want to play on. It'll take a month for the teams to be officially formed. But I do have a couple in mind, yes. I'd love Harry on my team as Seeker, of course."

"Really?!" The boy gasped. "But I lost..." Harry looked to the ground, scuffing his shoe up in the dirt.

"So, you had a bad game," Remus shrugged, and patted Harry's shoulder. "I know you can play very well, and you have the best coach in all of Britain."

Severus scoffed. "Whatever, Remus!"

"Oh, Sev, we all know that you tried out for the Slytherin's Quidditch team in second year," Lily said with a laugh.

Severus' face turned red, his eyes shifted away. He then cleared his throat. "I think I hear Lucius calling me." He slipped away into the crowd, making a speedy escape, not much unlike his friend had done earlier that day.


	18. Chapter 18

Lily had been seeing Sirius just about every day now, studying him to get an idea on how she could handle him. Unfortunately, he had acted no differently from the first time she had visited. Something needed to change.

"Wait," Lily stopped the armed Remus from going into Sirius' room. "I want to go in alone this time."

Remus shook his head. "Absolutely not! You've seen how he is! It's much too dangerous!"

Lily scoffed. "I can handle it! How many battles did I fight in the war again?"

"Lily," Remus started firmly. "This is different. And your current mind didn't experience the war, so you're not even allowed to use that as a comparison."

Lily huffed in irritation at his truth, out smarting Remus was always a difficult task. She had often wondered why he hadn't been sorted into Ravenclaw.

"Be that as it may, Sirius never seems angry with _me_ , Remus. He's always snarling at you or the Healers. I don't know why that is. Perhaps it's because it is not I that keeps him locked up here. You told me that you think I can help him, how can I do that when all he has are distractions?"

Remus narrowed his eyebrows, now in his own annoyance, but Lily could tell that he agreed with her. "I hate it when you do that," he muttered, surrendering his argument. "I'll be _right_ outside this door. If you make a single sound that makes me believe that you're in any sort of trouble-"

"I know, I know," Lily smiled in triumphant. "I'll be fine," she assured him, equipping herself with her wand.

"And wipe that smirk off your face!" He grumbled, making her laugh.

Lily quickly went back to seriousness, and cautiously cracked opened the door. "Sirius?" She called out gently. The door was immediately yanked from her grasp and she let out a startle shriek as Sirius let out a growl and lunged toward her. Remus quickly cast a spell on him, knocking him backward. Sirius went stiff and fell onto the floor.

"Remus!" Lily scolded and helped him get Sirius into the chair that stood in the room. "Why did you do that?!"

"He was going to attack you," Remus answered calmly, eyeing Sirius over. "I told you that it was too dangerous."

"He was trying to get _out_ , not hurt me!" She pressed her lips together in frustration. "That's all he ever wants! Don't you understand?!"

"Well, he doesn't seem to care _who_ he harms in the process, does he?" Remus kept his calm, even though Lily could tell that she had upset him.

She sighed. "Just... leave, please," she requested. "I _can_ handle him on my own. I promise."

Remus grunted and muttered something under his breath. Gripping his wand tightly, he did as she asked, shutting the door behind him, no doubt hovering on the other side of it to eavesdrop.

Lily removed the spell that Remus had cast on Sirius. He remained seated in the chair, staring at her in awe, just as he had done any other time she had come for a visit.

"How are you feeling, Sirius?" She asked, forcing herself to be a bit cheerful.

Sirius drove his gaze from her, looking around the room in desperation. "I want to see Prongs," he whispered. "Where's Prongs?"

Lily frowned. How many times had Remus explained it all to him? How many more times would it take for him to understand? Did he just simply _refuse_ to believe it?

"Sirius, " Lily went to explain it to him but instantly clamped her mouth shut when Sirius' eyes teared up, as if he knew the truth of James' status, having had seen Lily and not yet him.

She had not had a decent relationship with James Potter nor Sirius Black. Not one that she could actually remember at least. But she wasn't heartless, she didn't think it was right that James was dead and that Sirius was declared mad. They obviously weren't the only ones though. Frank and Alice were also patients of St. Mungo's, and had been for quite a while according to Remus. Many had died. Many were insane. Children had been orphaned. Children had been _murdered_. Lots of people had been effected by the war. Lily herself had even been one of the victims, and she did not think that it was fair that _she_ could come here to this timeline, unscathed and practically have no memories of what had gone on in the war.

_But this was what James had wanted for her._

"Lily," Sirius croaked, pulling Lily from her angst thoughts. "Is Prongs..." he trailed off, unable to finish his question, afraid of the answer.

Lily swallowed down a forming lump in her throat. Her eyes welled up. She didn't much like Sirius Black, but he looked awfully upset, and she felt bad about that. He had lost his best friend. A man that he had considered his brother. Lily did not know what she would do if she had lost someone so special.

_Well, maybe she did know; She'd probably be in the room right next to Sirius._

"Y-es," Lily squeaked out the answer.

His jaw tightened, and he looked down at his hands. "So what I saw- it was real?"

"It was, Sirius," she answered him hoarsely.

He looked her over. "Are you a ghost then? Why aren't you transparent?"

"No," she mumbled. "I-"

"I saw you!" he insisted. "I saw you! I saw James! You were-" he choked then, cutting himself off. "Voldmort _killed_ you...!" He said before bursting into sobs.

The water finally escaped Lily's eyes and the tears streaked down her face. She sniffed and inched her way to Sirius, feeling the need to comfort him. She set her hand onto Sirius' arm.

"I don't understand..." Sirius shook his head in confusion. "How are you still alive...?"

Lily transfigured a cup into a chair and sat next to him. "It's a long story..." She explained to him that she had taken a potion that sent her into the future. She didn't go into too many details, not yet sure what he was capable of handling.

"Where's Harry?" Sirius asked eagerly, his eyes lighting up.

"At home."

"With Hagrid?"

"No," she answered slowly. "Why would he be with Hargid...?"

Sirius' face fell. " _That_ night, I met Hagrid at your trashed up house. I told him that I had to find Peter, but I wouldn't leave Harry alone. He said he would protect Harry like he was his own."

"Oh..."

"So, if Hagrid's not with him, who is?"

"My husband..." she told him, avoiding any specifics for the time being.

Sirius gasped with wide eyes. "You remarried?!"

Lily groaned. "In a manner of speaking..." This whole time travel thing was becoming too much for her.

As days passed, Sirius mellowed out. Lily was told that while she was gone, he pestered the Healers about when she would be coming back. And soon he was _pestering_ her, asking _her_ questions about one certain little boy...

* _/_ *

Lily silently took a deep breath and sat down on the sofa across from Severus. He sipped his tea and looked at her blankly, prompting her to begin. She wasn't sure how she could. She knew that what she was about to start wasn't going to be a grand topic. It was bad enough that Remus was against the idea.

_Maybe she hadn't thought this all through..._

But he wanted this, and he likely needed it.

And James would have wanted her to do this. Or she thought anyway. Actually, she wasn't sure either way...

She stood up. "You know what, never mind."

Severus raised an eyebrow in question. "What is it, Lily?" He pressed softly.

"I'm just..." she paused, hugging her arms around herself, shrugging. "I don't know what I should do."

Severus raised his arm, gesturing her to him. "Come here and talk to me."

She bit lip in troublesome and nestled herself into his lap, resting her head against his chest. He gently wrapped his arms around her, pressing his lips to the top of her head. Lily sighed, finding some comfort in his rhythmic breathing.

"Better?" Severus murmured.

"Just a bit," she admitted.

"Are you going to explain to me why you are acting the way you are?"

"You're not going to like what I have to say," she warned him in a whisper. "And I don't want us to fight because of it..."

"What are you planning to do now?" His question was a wary one, but Lily also heard a little bit of curiosity in his tone.

She gripped a handful of his shirt, as if bracing herself for what she was about to say. "Don't get mad," Lily pleaded.

"Merlin, Lily, would you just spit it out?" He sighed impatiently.

Lily pulled away to look at him. "You have to promise you won't get mad."

Severus rolled his eyes. "I am not going to make a promise that I may have no ability to keep, Lily, but I'll try my best not to."

"Sirius wants to see Harry," she informed quickly. She tucked her lips in between her teeth, regretting what she had just said.

And with reason. Severus' hold on her had gotten tighter. His lips curled into a sour look. It was as if she had just told him that he had to have both of his feet removed.

"Well?" She asked moments later when he had said nothing.

"I'm trying to not be angry," he said through grit teeth. He inhaled deeply. "Why?" He slowly snarled.

"Why what?"

" _Why_ does Black want to see him?"

"He is Harry's Godfather, for one," Lily supplied.

"He's-" Severus cursed. "Well, of _course_ ; why the bloody hell _not_?! Potter would not have had it any other way!"

"Severus," Lily gently spoke, "Please understand where he's coming from-"

"Lily, to be frank, I don't give a fuck-"

"Severus!" She scolded.

"I apologize if that upsets you, Lily, but that's just how I feel, and _he_ wouldn't be any different toward me, you can't deny it!"

Lily looked away. "No," she agreed. "Probably not." She hadn't told Sirius who her husband was yet. He would have to be informed soon, she was starting to think that he thought her and Remus had tied the knot.

"He's a dangerous man, I don't want him near Harry."

"He's _misunderstood_ ," she pointedly corrected, narrowing her eyes at him. "YOU have quite a bit of experience in that, don't you, Severus?"

Severus snorted. "Are you _lecturing_ me while comparing me to Black at the same time?"

"Forget it!" Lily huffed, pushing herself up from him. "It was a dumb idea anyway!"

"Lily, don't go," Severus snatched her hand before she could get out of his reach. She stood still, purposely not looking at him, waiting for him to speak.

"What did the Healers say to this?"

She lifted a shoulder in a shrug. "Well, they say Sirius has been a little better. Especially, when I am there with him. He's almost... normal while I'm there. They said if I'm there, he would likely be safe around Harry, since he's so calm in my presence."

"And you agree?"

Lily nodded. "You should hear him talk about Harry, Severus. There's no doubt why he is Harry's Godfather. He really cares about him. And, well, I believe part of his issue is the loss of his best friend- brother more like."

"And the fact that it was someone all of you had trusted who had sentenced you to your deaths," Severus said reasonably.

"Yes, but Sirius has spoken so little about Peter these last few days. I think that his focus on Harry is a very good thing."

"Then I want to be there when you take Harry to see him."

"No," Lily shook her head. "He's just now getting used to Remus there without attempting an escape; you _know_ that your presence is not going to help at all!"

Severus scowled. "If he does _anything_ to harm that boy-"

"He won't," Lily promised, settling back into his lap, hugging him. "I'll make sure of it."


End file.
